


Caught Between Parallel Worlds

by offwiththeirheads



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, April Fools, Cats, College AU, Crafts, Dates, Drinking, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Funny, Horses, M/M, Smut, Twisty plot, hlspringfic exchange, pottery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-15
Updated: 2015-04-15
Packaged: 2018-03-23 01:39:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 37,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3750175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/offwiththeirheads/pseuds/offwiththeirheads
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It begins with an encounter during arts and crafts.</p><p>Fate is weird. Fate is crazy. Fate makes no sense. Fate also has guilty pleasure in messing with people's minds.</p><p> </p><p>  <i>Louis pokes his piece with a cautious finger, making a face when he feels it's cold, mushy exterior. "It's a piece of clay." Harry says, "Not poop."</i></p><p>
  <i>        "Shut up." Louis interjects, "I don't like this."</i>
</p><p>
  <i>        "You will" Harry smirks at him just as they're instructed to turn the clay into a ball and wedge it.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>        Louis' still not touching his piece, his hands safely tucked under the table, watching everyone else especially Harry knead the clay with the heel of his palms, which apparently is called wedging. He's probably good at kneading dough Louis thinks.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Caught Between Parallel Worlds

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Idzzdi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Idzzdi/gifts).



> To my wonderful prompter : Thank you for being nice while explaining the prompts and giving the author the freewill to incorporate whatever seems satisfying. I hope you will enjoy this story. It was supposed to be a 15k one shot but this piece simply paved it's own path and I had to succumb to it's wishes :) I genuinely hope you will be entertained by this story full of fluff and love and a bit of angst just as much as I loved writing it.
> 
> I would to like to thank a few people for helping me out with this wonderful piece. 
> 
> Thank you to the lovely Jess, Teri, Sam, Alexis and Ivy for looking over this for me.
> 
> A massive thank you to yourssincerelylarry on tumblr for making me the manip of Larry in the woods which is in the bottom left of the photoset. 
> 
> Marie, thank you for your continuous handholding support and eventually letting a friendship bloom between us.
> 
> Steph thank you for your input on one of the character's names :) and for being the most wonderful friend I could have come to know. You're incredibly funny sometimes and make me forget my sadness at times. Lots of love to you .
> 
> And finally to dear Karen who taught me to "write first and fix later". Thank you for being wonderful and amazing and despite your busy schedule to take time to see to my well being and putting up with my shit. You are greatly appreciated.
> 
> And thank you to one direction for being such an amazing five piece.
> 
> Also thank you to the moderators of this fic exchange for putting this together.
> 
> DISCLAIMER : All places mentioned in this fic are not accurate. I needed them to fit the story as I wished.

      

 

        Louis is lying flat on his back across Niall’s lap, looking as miserable and depleted as possible. Niall though is snacking on crisps, pieces falling off when he bites into them, the pieces falling on Louis’ torso but he could care less right now. He needs to keep up this facade.

 

       “Whatz is Lou?” Niall mumbles around a mouthful.

 

        “Niall.” Louis drones with as much languish as he possibly can and then begins to sing.

 

      “ _Lay me down on a bed of roses_

 _Sink me in the river at dawn_ ”

 

    “Okay, alright.” Niall gives a small chuckle, “Is this about that Clive guy?”

   

    “What?” Louis looks at him horrifically, “That name shall not be uttered in this apartment whatsoever. I thought you paid heed to the rules Horan.”

 

    “When do I ever?” Niall flicks a chip at Louis and he sits up with glare on his face.

 

    “You are a bad leprechaun. I hate you.” Louis hops off the blonde’s lap and sits on the floor, leaning his head on Niall’s knees.

 

    “Love you too.” Niall aims a kick at his leg, “So what is it then?”

 

    “They fucked up the schedule.”

   

    “As in?”

 

    “As in I have to take art and craft classes because there’s a schedule problem.” Louis wails, making extremely dramatic hand motions in the air, “How fucked up is that?”

 

    “Everything happens for a reason Tommo.” Niall pats his shoulder sympathetically, “I’m sure it’ll be fun.”

 

    “What? You mean getting my hands dirty and sitting through hours of knitting is going to be fun?”

 

    “You are the girl in this relationship.” Niall shrugs, “I wouldn’t mind a scarf or summat.”

 

    “Fuck you Horan.” Louis huffs, “The day I knit you a scarf is the day I end up kicking you out into the street.”

 

    “You wouldn’t do that boo.”

 

    “Don’t call me that.” Louis mimics a serious tone.

 

    “Boobear. Baby boo. My little baby.” Niall teases paying no heed to Louis’ protests.

 

    When Louis gets off the floor and steals Niall’s packet of crisps while leaving, the blonde makes no move to take it back instead he laughs and gets back to watching the television.

 

    -

 

            Louis does end up going to classes with a newly bought pottery tool kit and other essentials according to the handed out lists, which is fucking expensive when he’s barely even going to use it. He’s made up his mind that he’s just going to sit and do nothing because he’s a man and he does not do moulding shit, he’s not going to get his hands covered in grime, no thank you sire.

 

        The classroom is really spacious, pottery wheels in rows, at least two feet away from each other. In one corner of the room, six seater tables with high stools are neatly organized so there's enough room for students to move about. There's a wet, mouldy kind of smell to the room, like soil after a rainfall, something akin to a ploughed field. It's obviously the frequent use of clay during other classes and Louis thinks he thought right. _He's not going to touch this._

 

       Louis is neither early nor late to class considering the fact that three fourths of the class only arrive five minutes after he's settled on a stool at the front table. He likes the attention okay. He watches them take their preferred choice of seats, all of them ladled with toolkits and backpacks. Not even mere minutes does it take for the silence to roar into delighted chatter and pleasant laughs filled with gossip. It's nice to be back in a familiar zone, he missed Uni to say the least and a term break which consisted of mucking around has bored him to the core.

 

       He's too consumed by the people around him to notice the body claiming the seat beside him to the left. It's only when the table jostles, jerking Louis in the process does he turn with a natural sense of direction.

 

       To say he's captivated is not even the start of it. He is gratified and dumbstruck, hooked from first sight like a magnet and it's not even been a full half an hour. The boy is clad in a pair of ripped skinny jeans (yes Louis did check him out as soon as he laid eyes on the masterpiece.), a plaid red shirt over a holed vest and a bandana holding back the luscious mop of curls. He has never seen the guy before and of course he's going to inquire Niall about this creature who is already engaging with the people around their table. They seem to know him; well Louis needs to keep his composure if he seeks to speak.

 

      "Hi." and Louis actually does a double take. The voice is rough and deep, a mixture of gruff and gravel. Well, fuck!

 

      Louis naturally succumbs into it, because he's a sucker for pretty boys and with a wide smile across his face says, "Hey! Nice to meet you. I'm going to guess you joined this class because you were running out of leisurely pleasure."

 

      And the guy laughs, naturally, head thrown back and throat on display, the sound like a rich bubbling waterfall, beating against the rocks.

   

            "M'Harry." He says, still laughing and extending a hand, his shirt sleeve rucking up in the process. Louis can make out a faint smudge of black and he'll bet his arse that it's a tattoo.

 

        "You do know that when you shake hands, it is the right hand that is offered, not the left?" Louis points out, making no move at all to touch the hand even though he wants to. What if he gets electrocuted from the handsome vibe?

 

       "I offer my left hand to special people." Harry's grinning.

 

        Louis cocks his head to the side with raised eyebrows and he's pretty sure his smirk isn't intimidating by any chance, "So I'm special? Or is this like a subtle form of _I like your bum_ speech you use?"

 

        "I've never even seen your bum." Harry gapes. Louis wonders how and when they began to banter like this when they've only just met. Curse his wit. He does extend his hand and shake Harry's and it kind of feels like they're sealing a deal. He hopes Harry isn't some undercover spy or something; he'd really like to live his life.

 

         "Louis." he offers with a nod.

 

       "Hi Louis." It's like Harry's testing his name, letting it roll over his tongue, those plush lips mouthing the words and any other time Louis would have captured them with his own but considering it's a public place, he's going to keep his hands to himself like an innocent child. Huh.

 

      "Hi Harry." Louis mocks him, a grin forming on Harry's lips. He likes this boy and this boy is very nice. He wants to keep him.

 

      The professor arrives late and Louis wonders if this is a common occurrence in every class because that's what he's encountered all morning.

 

       Louis leans over to whisper in Harry's ear, clutching the table with his hands so he doesn't fall over, "I think he got laid last night. He's smiling."

 

       A look of horror passes over Harry's face and he mumbles a, "You can't say those kind of stuff Louis." before the horror smoothes into a smile.

   

        Louis shrugs. "I believe I just did."

 

            Professor Gallaway, that's his name and no, Louis did not snicker and Harry did not pinch his side. They're on the road to becoming good friends; Louis can feel it in his bones. The professor starts out with a brief explanation on the properties of the clay they'll be using, its various forms and colours and temperatures. Louis' got one ear perked in attention whilst his eyes roam Harry's jaw line. It’s in literary terms quite sharp only cloaked in a flab of skin and he wonders if slicing carrots with it is deemed possible. He doesn't think it's possible though but there's a possibility of tracing his tongue along it. That counts for something.

 

        He watches Harry's eyes crinkle and a laugh burst out in response to a joke the professor enacts. He's lovely just like that, makes Louis' stomach flip.

 

        It's when Mr. Gallaway passes around vinyl tablecloths to cover the tables with and bags of light grey clay that Louis decides to leave the admiring for later and pay attention because this probably costs his grade.

 

          "Please use your wire tool to cut out a slab of clay about two and a half inches downwards." The professor instructs and Louis turns to Harry, about to ask him what the fuck a wire tool is. "Afterwards, cut the slab into four squares."

 

           The students set to work. Louis helps spread the tablecloth but stays away from the menacing bag of clay. Harry's the one who offers to cut it up for them and Louis watches with a mixture of fascination and revulsion. Harry pushes up his sleeves and _ahhhh_ , there is a canvas full of tattoos. He then proceeds to obtain a line of wire with hardwood handles dangling from each end. Louis remembers that in his tool kit, when he had been going through the contents, threatening Niall with various tools for the sake of having a laugh. Harry continues cutting up squares until each of them around the table are apportioned with a piece.

 

        Louis pokes his piece with a cautious finger, making a face when he feels it's cold, mushy exterior. "It's a piece of clay." Harry says, "Not poop."

 

        "Shut up." Louis interjects, "I don't like this."

 

        "You will" Harry smirks at him just as they're instructed to turn the clay into a ball and wedge it.

 

        Louis' still not touching his piece, his hands safely tucked under the table, watching everyone else especially Harry knead the clay with the heel of his palms, which apparently is called wedging. _He's probably good at kneading dough_ Louis thinks.

 

       Harry gives him a quizzical look and motions towards the unattended slab before whispering a, "It's going to harden if you keep it lying like that."

 

       "Yeah right." Louis rolls his eyes. Harden. "Did you read up on this already?"

 

         Harry gives a shrug. Cheeky.

 

       "Mr. Tomlinson?" Oh bugger fucking shit.

 

        Louis rushes to mould the clay into a ball, sending an innocent smile the professor's way and Harry's snickering beside him. He kicks him under the table, hoping it hurt him good. He's carelessly patting the edges of the clay, wanting to drop it altogether. "This feels like squashed banana." He comments.

 

       Harry makes a sonorous laugh at the assent, abandoning his perfectly rounded ball to pick up Louis', their fingers brushing and sending a light shiver through their hands as he does so.

 

       "You've got to slap it against your palm in strong sweeps each time." Harry demonstrates, "Not like a ninny."

 

        Louis huffs and snags the piece out of his hands, brutally working it into a ball as if punching a man in spite. "There! Happy?!"

 

        The boy inspects the piece of work in quiet perspicacity, a twinge of smugness colouring his features. He gives a thumbs up and Louis deflates into a ball of mush. He's got a sly smile of triumph, he's trying to conceal. He is allowed to feel victorious; he just lent his bloody hands to shaping some clay.

 

        "If you've finished, you can place your clay in the piece of cellophane handed so it doesn't dry up and head over to a wheel." And everyone's rushing, stumbling over stools and knocking their knees on table legs. Why's everyone acting like five year olds? Why's this so alluring to them? Harry waits for him, a grin directed towards Louis when he looks up at him. He's still got to stand up. He decides to at least put some effort into this, Harry seems to be enjoying it and he likes seeing the boy smile.

 

       Picking up the ball Louis joins Harry who helps him wrap it up in the plastic before heading towards the wheels and choosing to sit beside each other. Mr. Gallaway’s wheel is a few feet in front of them, so the students can observe his demonstration before they begin.

 

          "First and foremost, put a bit of water on it and stick it to the wheel so it doesn't come off. To do so press the meaty part of your palm on the ball of clay, down against the wheel head."  

 

       Louis' watches with concentrated effort now because it looks fucking fascinating with the wheel running around in dizzying circles.

 

       "Do not push laterally, just press it down. The turn of the wheel will do its job." Mr. Gallaway instructs, his hands a muddy grey, "You want a skirt to form on the base so water does not have space to go in from underneath."

 

         "This is easier than I thought." Louis whispers and Harry nods, eyes fixed on the professor's movements.

 

          They're asked to take out their moulds and begin attaching it to the wheel. Louis' too excited by the prospect that he almost drops the thing.

 

           "I see you're strung out."

 

          "Shut up Harry." Louis muses, rubbing his palms together and setting to work.

 

        "Wet your clay. Cup your hands and place it around your ball of clay. Press your hands against the wheel and push gently towards the centre of the clay." And the clay goes up. "Make sure you don't pull the clay up, you simply squeeze."

 

         "Wet it again, cup it with your right hand, place the meaty part of your left thumb on top, overlap your hands and press down into your right hand." And the fucking thing goes down. It’s like magic.

 

       Harry gets it on the first try while Louis has trouble cupping his tiny hands around the thing but when he does, he makes a whoop of joy, startling the other boy. "Nice work Lou." Louis wiggles his eyebrows at him.

 

         "Keep repeating this technique until it begins to feel easier like lacing up your shoes. Clay goes up. Clay goes down."

 

         Louis is giggling and when Harry gives him a questioning look he points to the clay that's standing up and mouths, "Looks like a dick." Harry shakes his head as if he’s so done with this weirdly funny human.

 

       They learn to throw it till they break it, apparently an important part of the lesson to be able to learn from mistakes. They're supposed to form a cylindrical sort of mug and keep pulling it really tall until it flops over so that they can start over again.

 

       Harry's hands are caked with wet clay midway up his forearms, his fingers long and thin, brushing the outside of the clay gently as it rotates in speed. Louis much to his frustration could not completely focus on the task at hand, his eyes darting towards Harry, specifically his fucking giant hands and scattered tattoos. Harry’s hands wrap around almost half of the cylindrical piece when Louis' small hands could only cup a decent amount, possibly one fourth of the height.

 

         He wonders, if they placed their hands together whether there would be a difference. Of course there would be a difference, what is he even thinking about? Harry's got hands the size of a bear's paw. Much less, Louis' looked more to have a similarity to a tiger's paw maybe? Or a fox paw?

 

        When he raises his head, he meets Harry's eye, a smirk ever so present. Louis huffs and inhales deeply, hoping the extra oxygen will divert the direction of his blood.

 

    -

 

        On Thursday Harry's in class before Louis is, well okay, he was kind of late. It's not his fault that sleeping is a necessity.

 

         Harry simply gives him a smile when he takes his seat beside him and to say he's utterly baffled is an understatement. "Cat got your tongue or something curly?" He asks prodding at Harry's cheek and the boy turns to look at him with raised eyebrows.

 

           "I am not going to be your punching bag." Louis says sternly with a playful tone to his voice, "Just saying, whatever reason you're moody today."

 

          He gives a bark of strained laughter and claps Louis on the shoulder. "Sorry. Sorry." He says but his eyes don’t crinkle, "How's it going?"

 

           "It's only been like a day H." Louis shakes his head, smiling, "I've had a shit ton of assignments and the bloody term's only just started."

 

        "I feel your stress mate." Harry's fiddling with the zip on his rocker jacket. Louis wants to remind him that this is a fucking craft class and they're obviously continuing the last pottery lesson but then Harry seemed to have the schedule memorized, by the way he so obviously had a planner with him last Tuesday and even wore clothes that seemed to have surfaced from the attic and belonged to his grandfather.

 

         Louis nudges his leg and asks, "Are you like in a hurry after class?" There's a biting edge to it and he feels fire in his belly. Why is he jealous? Oh because, yes, _fingers, hands, lips_ , yes okay, alright.

 

          "Why do you ask?" Harry kicks back.

   

            "I thought we were friends Harold." Louis clutches his chest as if he has been wounded, "I deserve answers. My poor heart."

 

            "We are friends." Harry laughs, ruffling the curls that are sitting loose, "I'm not going anywhere by the way."

 

         "You do realize we're touching clay today right?" Louis points out.

 

         "I do, yes." He nods, "I don't give two fucks about it anyway."

 

            Louis looks at him in surprise, he's pretty sure his eyes look the size of saucers, "I thought you did, all cute and mushy last Tuesday making pots."

 

         He gives a very heightened sort of laughter and Louis shakes his head, smiling to himself because he knows its fake and something's bothering Harry today. He's not going to nag him about it like he does Niall, Harry would come to him if he needed anything, wouldn't he? Yes, he would.

 

            "Today's lesson is learning to give your mould a shape."

 

           "What if they made pots in the shape of dicks?"

 

         Harry punches his arm with a, "The greatest invention on earth." Louis can't stop himself from giggling.

 

_

 

          "Liam's here." Louis says in a hushed tone, immediately bowing his head and sliding down his seat.

   

           Harry's turning his head at the statement to search for the mentioned person and Louis has to kick him with a "Don't look! Fuck!"

 

          "Niall's crush?"

 

            "Yes, yes." Louis groans, "This is the worst day of my life."

 

        Harry's looking at him with amusement dancing in his eyes, quite overjoyed by the story he had been told a few days ago, "It was a onetime thing Louis."

 

           But Louis' eyes are focused on the strongly built boy standing at the counter, waiting for his order. It's a warm day, sunny and bright and Louis' mood was over the moon. He'd invited Harry by text for a cup of tea, well tea for him but latte for Harry and now he's faced with this situation. It's true, the saying " _not everything good lasts_." Louis feels like the sun is mocking him. _I was being grateful_ , he wants to moan but then Liam's moving towards them. Oh shit!

 

          "Lou." Harry's giving a warning. He's watching Liam from the corner of his eyes, Louis can see. He wants to kiss Harry for being on his side. Seriously if Niall knew that he'd sucked Liam off at a party, he'd not have a head when coming the next day to class. “Is that the Liam you're talking about?”

 

         “Yes, why?” Louis asks, realizing now that Harry had never actually seen the Liam who’d made an appearance in their conversation once.

.

          Harry's trying to contain a smirk when he faces Louis, "He's my flatmate."

 

          Louis blanches, incapable of forming words for a moment before, "What?!!!!"

 

             "He apparently saw me, which is probably why he's rounding the corner---"

 

          "and fucking waving at our table." Louis finishes, moaning, "I should have purchased a bottle of poison."

 

          Louis tries not to look desperately helpless when Harry gives him a soft look and waves back at Liam. It's done. One cannot change the workings of fate. He keeps his head low, mindlessly stirring his cup of tea and not daring to peek at the figure nearing them.

 

"Harry!" Liam greets and Louis winces. That voice sounded ten times wrecked the day he-- no, never mind. He's supposed to be thinking of what Harry will sound like, not Liam. Why does he always go for the pretty, built guys? For the love of God, he hopes Harry doesn't have a boyfriend or Zayn doesn't happen to know Harry have a crush on him because Louis is not ready to deal with another embarrassment.

 

Zayn’s the guy Niall and he met the day they moved in. He lives right next door to them, by himself and he’s doing engineering. They have night dates, all three of them, a movie and pizza in whichever flat that seems suitable. And well friends don’t hit on their friend’s crushes or boyfriends because that’s really fucking weird and could lead to future complications. So Louis needs to make sure Harry is a free bird.

 

Harry gets out of his seat excitedly to greet the boy, "Hail Payno!" Liam laughs, technically like a deep rumble and Louis assumes that he pats Harry's back from the sound of the clap.

 

And...."Lewis? Louis is it?" When's the next train to Doncaster exactly?

 

Louis clears his throat and extends a hand, hoping any form of blushing is nonexistent. "Hello there! Yes, Louis it is."

 

"Liam." Liam shakes his hand with a smile, before taking a seat beside Harry. "I think we've met before."

 

Louis raises his brows in pretence and Harry kicks his foot under the table, "Oh really? I'm not quite sure I remember."

 

Liam chuckles, abashed, "Its fine. I see people and think I've met them. I'm weird like that. But we’ve briefly met I think, otherwise I wouldn’t know your name."

 

"Like a party or maybe in a class or you bumped into each other...” Harry offers. Louis knows he’s taking the mickey out this situation.

 

"Yes, something like that."

 

Louis nods in relief, at least he didn't have to scramble for some sort of answer if Liam had opted to ask about the party happenings instead of ‘have we met?’

 

"G dropped off a parcel for you." Liam turns to address Harry, sipping his coffee.

 

Harry turns at the statement and Louis' interest is piqued now because who the fuck is G? "Did he? You just left the flat? Who's it from?"

 

Liam laughs, does that boy ever not laugh? "I think it's from your mum. He's not coming tonight, sleeping over or something like that."

 

"Oh." Louis knows by the sound of that, the conversation has ended. He's known Harry for two weeks to know what his tones instate. Two weeks and he's not snogged the bastard yet. What is he doing with his life?

 

So he asks the dumbest thing he's sure he's ever asked in his life, "Who's G? Is that some secret code name or something similar?"

 

The fucking buzzcut nut laughs, again, and just before he utters an answer, Harry does, "He's nothing to worry about." He gives Louis a lopsided grin and well, if he says so, Louis won't care to bother.

 

-

 

"You doing okay today curly?" Louis asks as soon as he plonks his satchel on the floor and takes a seat, stretching his legs under the table and hearing a pop from his back.

 

Harry greets him with a wide smile and then asks, "Why do you ask that?"

 

"Well you seemed pretty moody last Thursday and the Thursday before last." Louis tells him, "No, you _were_ fucking moody." He feels stupid after he says that because Harry's looking at him as if he's grown a pair of horns because something close to realization dawns on his face.

 

"Yeah I… ha-ha." Harry knocks his head on the table where his hands are laid, chuckling, a low rumble, "I'm fine. Thanks for looking out for me."

 

Louis doesn't question it, doesn't even let himself think about this weird moment but the thought of _Am I sitting with a lunatic?_ passes through his mind. Harry's nice and those fingers look like dildos, he's not gonna say anything bad. Harry's actually very nice though. The fucking jokes he comes up with. "You're welcome." He sees Martin sitting two tables to the right of theirs and well Martin is Clive's friend, he's only just noticed him. How does he only notice him now? He's been in this class five times, counting this instance. Oh yeah, Harry. Harry's preoccupied his mind as of lately.

 

"We're learning to make bowls today." Harry cuts through his thoughts.

 

"What?" Louis asks shocked because what? Balls?

 

"Bowls." Harry repeats, making a wide circular motion with his hands and Louis is watching those hands fly through the air, "We're learning to shape them today."

 

Louis laughs humourlessly, he's well aware of the twitch in his boxers.

 

"Galewaggon is dragging these lessons." Louis fake sighs, "I'm getting bored. I bet I can make a bowl or a jug in one go."

 

Harry chokes on a laugh, thumping his leg and Louis is amused."Galewaggon? Louis-"

 

"I know, I know." Louis raises a palm, "I’m very funny. Thanks Harold."

 

Harry gives him a look, one that is a blend between a smirk and a smile, "That wasn't what I was gonna say but okay,"

 

"What were you gonna say?"

 

"That it was mean."

 

"But it's true." Louis whines, "I have a better one though. Gagdragwaggon."

 

The taller boy shakes his head, his lips quirked and set tight as if he's trying to hold his laughter in, his eyes trained on the door of the classroom which is next to him, a few feet away. Mr. Gallaway's just entering the class and Louis turns to Harry startled. The boy shakes his head at him in a _no he didn’t hear_ manner and Louis lets out a sigh of relief.

 

"I'm aware of the reference you made though." Harry whispers, sitting straight and getting ready for their lesson.

 

Oh yes, Gag. Louis smirks. "You have to spend break with me."

 

"I’ve got an assignment to finish” Harry says before his eyes light up, “What do I get out of it?"

 

"I have something very prolific to show you." Louis elbows his hand and wiggles his eyebrows when he looks at him.

 

Harry smirks in return, "Okay."

 

-

 

Harry's brought his own packed lunch, wrapped in soft cellophane in a brown paper bag. They're at the same cafe they go to every day, sometimes, well when Harry's free enough or they meet after class or leave craft classes together. They've known each other for like a two weeks and a half now, he’s not keeping count, he swears, Louis just happens  to make friends quite easily. Harry unwraps his lunch to display sandwiches. He gestures to his lunch, "Want one?" He offers.

 

Louis bought a coke and a burger, simple and unhealthy. "You made lunch for yourself?" He asks instead. Harry nods. "What is it?"

 

"Banana and peanut butter." He replies smiling widely and removing the top slice of his sandwich which makes Louis gawk, hand midway towards his can of coke.

 

"Banana?" He wrinkles his nose in distaste, "And fucking peanut butter? Harry you can't be serious."

 

The boy shrugs, taking a bite of his food, Louis watching as if Harry's just bitten into a dung beetle.

 

"I've never met anyone so weird."

 

"We're friends." Harry shrugs, "You signed up for this."

 

"I guess I did."

 

They somehow end up speaking about Louis' family, Louis having mentioned the fact that every time he visits home Lottie expects a souvenir of some sort from London and that fascinated Harry, the fact that's he's got a load of little siblings. He recalls the time he was at school when he was called into the office to be told that his mum is in hospital in labour and his dad waiting to pick him up. He tells Harry how he felt when he first held his twin sisters and Harry gets a soft mushy look on his face as if he's actually living the memory.

 

"What about yours?" Louis asks but before Harry can even put down his last sandwich and speak, there's an inhuman squeak spilling from Louis' lips when he feels a hand clap him on the back, _hard._

   

“Didn’t think I’d find you here Tommo!” aaaand it’s Niall! Louis sighs in exasperation.“And with your boy too.”

 

 _My boy?_ Louis wants to screech. Harry’s cheeks have gone bright red, a pretty colour, fusing with the paleness of his skin. Louis aim’s a punch to the blonde’s stomach, making him jerk backwards in reflex which is too late and Louis snickers. Serves him right. “Are you going to sabotage my lunch now or did you come for anything specific?”

 

Niall grins as if he hasn’t just dropped a bomb in the middle of their table and set it off the instant it touched the polished brown wood. “Nah.” He’s still standing which has to mean he’s not going to join them. Louis does a mad dance of joy inside, not that he doesn’t appreciate Niall’s company; it’s just _Louis and Harry_ time today. “Came for a cappuccino. Liam suggested the place was good. Saw you and well can’t ignore me mate now, can I?”

 

“Liam?” Louis asks. That’s as much as he seems to have grasped out of the reply. The boy goes from pale pink to beet red. Louis feels accomplishment fill his pores.  He can already see the smile beginning to form at the corners of Harry’s lips. He somehow is always watching Harry; don’t even bother asking how and why.

 

            Niall thumps him lightly on the head, making Louis protest and groans dramatically. “Bugger off!” There’s a splotch of coke sitting on the top of the can near the opening, the excess that spills out into the crevices. Louis circles his finger in it then advances unexpectedly on Niall to swipe his finger across his cheek, laughing delightfully, Harry’s laughter following after.

 

            Blondie jumps in shock at the moment’s icy touch before his nose scrunches and he makes a disgusted face at Louis. Wiping his cheek frivolously he mutters a, “Such an indecent creature. I don’t doubt Harry here has endured your menacing behaviour. I’m leaving and I expect you to pay for the pizza tonight.”

 

Waving a hand in form of saying goodbye, Louis turns back to resume eating his lunch, eyes sparkling in fondness. These are his two favourite people.

 

Wait. What?

 

_This is not the time Louis!_

 

“So what’s the thing you wanted to show me?” Harry pokes a finger into Louis’ burger before picking it up and taking a bite.

 

“Oi!” Louis squawks, “Stay away from my food you healthy hipster.”

 

“I don’t look like a hipster.”

 

“You do.” Louis points a finger at him, “Right then. It’s a surprise. Let’s get going.” He takes the last swig off his drink, crumples the food wrapper as Harry does the same, dropping them into the bin and heading out of the cafe. The heat outside wraps around them instantly, beads of sweat already beginning to form on their skin as they walk at a fast pace along the pavement, bags slung over their shoulders.

 

They make their way through the milling students scattered around the campus grounds and halls. Louis takes two steps at a time up the stairs, Harry’s footsteps echoing right behind him. “This better be good Louis.” He huffs, stopping to regain his breath. He’s hunched over with his hands holding his legs, “We’re practically skipping.” Louis laughs at that and continues, ignoring the protest from Harry that reverberates off the walls.

 

Coming to a stop on the last landing, Louis whirls around, waiting for the curly head to appear at the bottom of the flight of stairs. “You’re like a tortoise.” He clarifies, chuckling, “Hurry up H.”

 

“I’m coming. I’m coming.” He groans, “I’m going to need a back massage when I get home.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

Harry nods, “All over my back and my thighs.” Louis gulps as his mind starts to conjure Harry laid out lax on a white bedspread, eyes shut and eyelashes fanning his cheeks, oil running down his body and thick thighs.

 

 

Rubbing a hand across his face, he leads Harry towards the row of open windows, filtering light into the empty corridor. There aren’t any classrooms on the last level, simply a corridor with windows built into the layout of the wall, open windows that overlook into the behind of the University.

 

Harry seems curious, dropping his satchel next to Louis’ one leaning against the wall and peeks through the window, poking his head out. “Louis?” Louis joins him, squeezing alongside Harry to hang his head out too.

 

“I thought you’d like it. It’s sort of like a forest.” Louis explains, feeling the taller boy’s arm rubbing against his. “You can see a lake right over there.” He points a finger in the direction of the mentioned lake, its waters glistening under the sun, reflecting rays.

 

He watches Harry’s eyes take in the forest below them then flit towards the waters, his jaw dropping. “Wow Lou!”

 

“I know.”

 

“It’s so fucking pretty.” The boy breathes, “Can we go see it?”

 

“I don’t think so.” Louis frowns, fondness filling him when Harry pouts, still not taking his eyes off the land. There’s even a lovely group of rocks on the sand beside the lake. “Its private land I believe.”

 

“Sucks.” Harry sighs, dropping his head on his palm, his hand propped on the sill as he gazes at it for awhile then he takes his mobile out of his back pocket, snapping a quick picture then tucking it back. Louis is unable to avert his eyes from the being before him. He’s been watching him the whole time until Harry’s eyes find his. They stare at each other for a beat, instinctively biting their lips.

 

Louis sucks in a breath when Harry's eyes lock on his lips, his dick has been twitching from the images that had spiked earlier through his mind of a Harry being massaged. Now he is feeling the arousal build up. God. The heat is getting hotter and seeping into his veins. Harry takes a step closer towards him and his muscles move involuntarily towards Harry in turn.

 

His fingers are twitching to card through the chestnut curls, the wind blowing through the window sweeping them to the side and his ear makes an appearance. Louis has to bite back a laugh because it looks really fucking quirky.

 

Harry's literally in his space now, his breath hitting Louis' face, warm and smelling of banana? It rouses him even more. His eyes are lidded heavy with hunger, a dark shade of green like black paint swirling with a light green. Louis can hear his own breath coming out in short puffs.

 

Without warning, their lips slide against each other. Who made the first move is unclear; Louis swears they moved at the same time. Harry's lips feel plump between his own, soft and plush, wet smacking sounds echo around them, Louis brings his hands up to wrap around Harry's neck. He feels Harry’s hand settle on his waist, the other sliding down to cup his bum. He groans into the kiss, feeling Harry's erection rubbing against his hip, so hard. He wants to know if it's leaking, if there's pre come oozing, if Harry's so hard just for him. Louis suckles on his lower lip, earning a whine from Harry who's begun to rut against him.

 

"Fuck" he moans into Harry's mouth, sliding a hand under the cotton t-shirt Harry's wearing, he can feel the flexing of his stomach muscles, they feel toned and sweet fuck, he wants to lick them already. His fingernails catch on the trail of hair near Harry's navel, leading downwards, the boy bucks into him at the touch, a guttural sound in response.

 

    Louis licks into Harry’s mouth, pressing their tongues together. He pulls Harry’s tongue into his mouth and begins sucking on it; spit trickling from the corner of his mouth which Harry wipes away when his fingers cup Louis’ jaw.

 

    Once the need for air becomes too much, they pull away, gasping and trying to gulp deep breaths. They’re still holding onto each other, bodies touching, hands upon waist and shoulders. Louis’ face feels hot and when he raises his eyes to look at Harry, he notices him already watching him. He flushes at the gaze and bows his head, making no haste to take away his hands. When did he become so shy?

 

    It’s when a beep cuts through the air with a text and he fumbles his phone out of his pocket does he notice the time. “Haz.”He pats Harry’s crotch, making the boy grunt, “Class.” Grabbing a hold of Harry’s wrist, he gets the two of them down the stairs and back to the hallways, going their separate ways to class, a mere three minutes late.

 

-

 

            Louis finally lived his fantasies or in another sense, living them. By fantasies, meaning his daydreams of a naked Harry during his shower wanks so Niall can't hear.

 

He’s so happy inside and can practically feel the butterflies squealing in his tummy, so it comes as really no surprise when he gets back to a loud flat and finds Niall on the floor with his laptop on his chest open to a Spotify list, a pillow to elevate his head and he simply turns and asks, "You finally did it with Styles?"

 

The older boy grins manically and plops down beside Niall with no intention of changing his clothes since he has to go to work at the sports store in like half an hour, "I sure did." He says.

 

"How did it go?" Niall asks intrigued, "Leave out the details please. Did you use protection?"

 

Louis slaps his arm, "We just snogged, nothing more. I'm not that bad Nialler."

 

"When you're drunk, you are." He points out.

 

Louis turns to lie on his stomach, propping his head on his crossed arms in front of him and gazing at the wall. "I like him." he says, "He's stupid. He’s silly and hot as fuck."

 

"You like him because he's stupid?"

 

"And silly and hot as fuck" Louis corrects, laughing, "They make him very quirky."

 

-

 

Playing candy crush on his phone while navigating the halls is not the best idea when there’s bound to be pillars and bodies waiting to be crashed into but that's exactly what happens.

 

"Oof!" He exclaims just as another gruff voice echoes it. He looks up from his phone to stare into jade eyes and a grin spreads across his lips. "Hellooo Hazza!" He pats the boy’s chest and leans up on his toes to smack a kiss onto his lips.

 

Harry looks startled by the action, going wide eyed and his lips parting."Um...”

 

Colour drains from Louis' face as he watches Harry fish mouth with a shocked expression. He frowns and places a hand on his arm, "Haz you okay?" When he doesn't reply, fear strikes Louis and he's fumbling for words in his head, coming up with a, "Did I do something wrong?" Fuck!

 

Lips smack against his and his hands come up to clutch at the strands of curls. Feeling relieved, Louis closes his eyes and succumbs into the open mouthed kiss. When they pull back, Harry's got a smile and with a thumb, he motions towards their classroom.

 

He's feeling ecstatic today because "Glazing". They're learning to glaze moulded ceramics which means the end of pottery. Wheel throwing and all that was fun but not all the squishy clay touching.

 

"Did you manage to finish the sociology paper you were moaning about the other day?" Louis asks. Harry shrugs then nods but his forehead is scrunched and he's biting his lip. It's like he's in deep thought which is odd because normally Harry tells Louis whatever is on his mind, he's learned to confide in Louis. Even though he doesn't want to brag, Louis agrees that he makes the best of situations. He knows just how to make Harry laugh.

 

Folding his hands on the table and propping his chin on them, he continues, "The other day I read this article about a monkey who stole a phone."

 

"And?" Harry prompts, twisting in his seat and knocking his elbow against Louis'.

 

"He took selfies with it."

 

"No!" Harry exclaims, widening his eyes. Normally he’d come up with something else to extend the story, his own version of what the monkey could have possibly done with the phone like watch porn but not today.

 

Louis chuckles. He can’t expect Harry to be perfect, there’s bound to be bad days. "Yes. Lottie was right astounded herself when I texted her about it." And just like that Harry’s grin drops. What the actual fuck?!

 

He wants to kiss Mr. Gallaway's feet, despite everything he's said behind his back, when he chooses that very moment to enter the class and hush the students.

 

"You all good Haz?" Louis stands up to join the students walking to their wheels.

 

Harry places a hand around his waist and gives a squeeze. "Hmmm."

 

If he says so, then he's not going to question him. To be honest, he likes Harry every day except Thursdays, he's got weird mood swings, he swears.

 

Once class is over, Louis corners Harry before he can escape just like every other Thursday and suggests, "Lunch?" before putting on his best puppy eyes, "Please? Pretty please Haz with a cherry on top?"

 

Harry sighs then plasters on a smile and nods his head. "Yeah, let's go for it."

 

-

 

"I found an ABBA Vinyl yesterday." Louis says, stuffing his mouth with fries. Harry replies with a hum which irritates Louis. "You mentioned it yesterday and I did a round at the record shop Niall works at and he found one in the storage room."

 

"Which one is it?" Harry asks, he's messing with his phone on the table, the tray of ordered food untouched.

 

"ABBA." Louis replies before sneakily hooking his foot with Harry's under the table and startling the boy, "So what have you got after? We've never had lunch on Thursdays."

 

Harry stares at him, almost like he’s contemplating before he averts his eyes away from Louis. "Uhh." He raises a hand to scratch at his neck when his phone slips out of his fingers, "Shit! Fuck!" Louis is literally this short on smacking Harry to get him back to his senses. Sometimes he doesn't understand him. Sometimes he acts so fucking weird, Louis doesn't know what to do with himself nor Harry. "Sorry uh I think sociology or something. I can't really remember."

 

Gulping some of his coke and retrieving his leg from around Harry's, he nods.

 

Harry abandons his phone on the table and traps Louis, since he’s sitting in the corner.  Harry is sitting beside him, his back to the peering eyes in the cafe. Harry’s hand comes to hold him at the waist and the other on his thigh, and then he leans into kiss him. Louis carefully places his drink on top of the table so it doesn’t spill or anything and wraps his hands around Harry’s neck, letting him suckle at his bottom lip.

 

They breathe into each other when they pull back, Louis’ eyes watching Harry bite his own lip, then he bends to bite at Louis’ earlobe, whispering a “I’ll see you later.” Just like that he’s gone, leaving a flustered Louis with a fucking tent in his pants and an uneaten tray of food.

 

Well he's in for bad luck today.

 

-

 

They don't see each other until Tuesday since Harry's got extra paperwork and they've got an assignment to write on their pottery lesson because they're starting something new. Quite crafty this class.

 

Harry looks so fucking ecstatic on Tuesday; he literally lifts Louis off his feet when he sees him outside the class. Louis feels his heart leap. "Okay curly." He laughs, eyes crinkling and patting the boy's cheek, "You can put me down now."

 

"Missed you." Harry breathes, pecking him on the lips. Louis takes his hand, palm against palm and pulls them into the classroom. There are canvases in place of the pottery wheels. So it's painting. Well that's better than mud.

 

"Missed you too." Louis reciprocates once they've taken their seats. He unzips his bag and pulls out a large square like object, pushing it towards Harry.

 

Harry's eyebrows scrunch up together and he pulls the object towards him. He reads the title on the cover and bores his eyes into Louis, mouth agape.

 

He pats Harry on the shoulder, "Told you I got it for ya."

 

"But how?" Harry mouths.

 

"Niall's storage room. He found it." Louis says, kind of feeling confused himself, "I told you last Thursday Haz."

 

Harry chuckles then, giving Louis a brief hug, "Oh yeah. Thank you so much Lou. This is amazing." Louis hugs him back, just as tight, relishing in the smell of his musky perfume and sweet citrus smelling curls pulled into a bun. He pokes at it with a finger then pats at it like he’s utterly fascinated with it. He’s amazed at the fact that Harry’s hair has grown so long that he can actually get it into a bun. “I like it.” He says, “It’s a bun, like a man bun.”

 

“You’re weird.” Harry giggles, “But thank you.”

 

"How much did it cost?"

 

"It's just a record Harry." Louis waves a hand in nonchalance, taking his seat, "Don't worry about it."

 

Using a finger, Harry traces the outline of the vinyl cover, looking completely elated, "Thank you. I'm so happy like I can't wait to get home to play it on my vinyl player."

 

Louis laughs."That's the whole point of it, isn't it?"

 

The curly headed boy punches him lightly on the arm, "shut up and thank you."

 

"You've said thank you too many times. I heard it the first time and you're welcome."

 

He keeps turning over the record, pausing to read the back then opens his mouth to say something before shutting it. Louis has a feeling, he was about to say thank you again.

 

Mr. Gallaway is going over the basics of painting and they're going to experiment with water colours, just so all of the students get a feel for it. They're supposed to do anything with it really, just splash the colours to their heart's content. It sounds exciting when you first hear that your art and crafts professor isn't going to launch into a bandwagon full of information and facts you're possibly expected to keep in mind for future references.

 

But on the other hand, this is really not Louis' form of enjoyment. What does one find so awe inspiring by a bunch of water in various colours? Like he's not even got the bloody talent for it. He could just pour a blob of yellow paint and call it the sun. He could paint a long wide blue line like an unstructured road around a mountain and call it a lake but then there's the students who paint a yellow uneven circle, rub a streak of orange and red and call it a fucking sun and it actually looks like a fucking real life sun. The sun isn't a circle though which is kind of a bummer, because then it speaks volumes of your art. There's even the shading part and where the light falls part he's seen artist friends talk about and like really? If he put a splotch of white paint in the middle of a black shirt, he could say it's where the light falls, like a fine line of light but in reality it could even be a cum stain.

 

            Louis picks up a palette from the stack sitting on a wide table and a box of paint tubes for both Harry and himself. "What are we even gonna paint? I feel like that one kid in high school who gets kicked about and pulled through the mud." He squeezes a blob of blue paint into a well on the palette.

 

"Don't be so dramatic." Harry laughs, squeezing out his own paint, "It's not that bad. Paint what comes to your mind."

 

"I'm trying here Harold." Louis groans, pouring water into a cup using his plastic water bottle.

 

They're really close to each other if not for the table in the midst of them, holding their palettes and paint but it's easy enough for Harry to reach around and place a hand on Louis' thigh, patting it a few times with a smile. "Let's just go with the flow. I'm pretty sure we'll both fail but practice makes perfect."

 

"And I thought I was the one quoting shit."

 

"Funny." Harry chuckles.

 

He's actually just staring at the white of the canvas propped up on the stand, a filbert paintbrush held in one hand and his palette filled with a variety of different colours on the other.

 

"Fuck this!" He mutters before dipping the brush into the green paint which engulfs the bristles into itself and raises his arm to swipe a streak on the canvas and he thinks “ _oh fuck I just ruined it._ ”

 

Now there’s a long bloody green line across the canvas and Harry’s apparently choking on his breath. “Lou-”

 

Louis lifts his hand to face the palm towards Harry in a _shut up_ motion. “I’m experimenting Haz.” He explains because _no_ he will not go down.

 

Harry hums and resumes applying strokes of blue on his canvas but there's a hint of a smile. "How I wish I could experiment like you Louis."

 

"I am a very complex human Harold." Louis says sombrely, his eyes focused as he uses a different colour across the canvas and brings his hand to his chest proudly, "You wouldn't understand how my brain works."

 

"I think I do actually." Harry replies.

 

"No you don't."

 

"A tiny bit, I think."

 

"Not even a tiny bit." Louis says stubbornly.

 

"A teeny weeny, itsy bitsy bit." Harry laughs.

 

"Fuck you. I'll show you itsy bitsy bit."

 

"I can wait."

 

-

 

In the end, Louis ends up with a painting he'd claim as "utterly horrifying". It looks something akin to a whirlpool, swirling downwards, only with a variety of colour, each colour starting dark then light. Harry's amazed by it though, he had often glanced at Louis' work but soon was engrossed in his own piece which is a paint bucket and appearing out of it are rainbows or sparks and flowers,  first coming out  in streaks then into their desired form.

 

It's all in different colours like Louis'. But now that Harry's actually noted his work, he's gaping at the fucking thing as if he'd been graded a bloody A+ and it's not even his work.

 

"That's actually really good."

 

Huffing, Louis dips the paintbrushes in the cup of dirty water, trying to get them clean, "It's not Haz. It's a really bad version of a tidal pool. It's a gay version of it."

 

"I could say mine sort of is gay too.” Louis continues tapping his brushes against the side of the mug to drain the water. Harry sighs, leaning back in his seat, “You don't believe me do you?”

 

"Nope." Louis replies, shaking his head from side to side, "Not one bit."

 

"I'm hurt."

 

Louis clicks his tongue and cleans his hands with the piece of clothe both he and Harry shares, "Sorry Haz but no can do."

 

"Mr. Gallaway's going to compliment it." Harry resigns, beginning to clean his own brushes, "I like it quite a lot actually. It’s got a lot of green."

 

 _Oh yeah? Because your eyes are fucking glowing green._ He thinks it but that’s not what he says. "If he does, it'd be an insult to my ego." He's feeling quite satisfied by the painting for a first piece, but it's really not something he thought about, he ruined it and then simply went with it, ending up with this, "Because I know I can do better than this."

 

Harry perks up, looking at him with a grin, "So you do admit to having an artistic talent?"

 

"Uh-"

 

"Don't be. I know this class is stroking your edges."

 

Okay...well he wasn't expecting that to say the least, "Haz...this is really not helping me."

 

"Who said anything about helping?"

 

And just "Fuck you H." He mutters.

 

After class, Harry invites him over to his flat so they can have lunch together and watch a movie or have a walk since Harry's sociology professor is unable to conduct the class and instead had opted to give all her students assignments which included a shit ton of research.

 

Harry lives in the same student housing but in a different building. Louis' trying not to seem too excited that he's seeing Harry's place for the first time. Harry had been over to Louis and Niall's flat several times, sometimes joining on their movie nights with Zayn.

 

"Is Liam at the flat?" Louis asks as they walk up the stairs.

 

Harry shakes his head. "No Ginger is defo in there, lounging but also Gabe might be, I'm not entirely sure though."

 

"Awww Ginger my pretty love. I’ve heard stories of her but I have yet to see her defined beauty.” Louis swoons and Harry slaps him with a delighted chuckle. “By the way you didn't tell me you have two flatmates Harry." He’s crestfallen, although he does remember a certain G mentioned by Liam at the café. He wants to almost scream but he never asked so that's a part of it.

 

"You never asked." Harry voices his thoughts, unlocking the door when they step onto the landing. It's the first door to the right of the staircase. The smell of rose, sandal wood and bergamot hits his nostrils. Bergamot?!

 

Louis inhales a deep breath because let's be honest, the flat smells like a hotel room or something. "Please tell me I'm not entering a shrine."

 

Harry bursts into laughter, throwing his keys into a glass bowl sitting on the table to the far side, pushed against the wall. "I'm sorry to burst your bubble but you are."

 

Toeing off his shoes, Louis snorts, "Then it's a hellavu shrine because I can't imagine Liam living here. It smells of so many scented candles. Do you go around with them candles, spilling the smells into every nook and corner?"

 

"I don't do that." Harry whines, almost like he's been offended, "And Liam doesn't mind. Do you?"

 

"Does Gabe not mind too then?" Louis asks.

 

"Well he doesn’t spend all of his time here." Harry murmurs, "But he hasn't said anything about it." He goes into the kitchen while Louis hangs back in the lounge noting the ginger cat eyeing him. “A cup of tea? Coffee?”

 

"Tea." There are pale cream lace curtains for the windows and picture frames every corner he looks. There's a pull out sofa bed and a one seater sofa. Not bad. Kind of like the millionaire homes you'd expect to look like, not a dank flat, students rent. Harry's really charming.

He very cautiously approaches the cat but she doesn’t hiss like all the other cats his met. “Hello my love.” He coos at her and he hears Harry snicker. “I think you’re the Goddess of beauty.”

She does come out of her hiding spot from behind the sofa and it doesn’t even take him a few minutes to let her sniff him and pick her up. Huh, Harry can laugh all he wants now. Louis is going to get Ginger on his side.

 

He heads into the kitchen to join Harry, with Ginger in his arm. The kitchen is just as soft and bright looking as the rest of the flat. "If he doesn't say anything, it means he doesn't like it but since you're a bunny he doesn't want to hurt your feelings." He says, continuing their unfinished conversation and when Harry visibly pouts at him, while putting in a tea bag, he hurries to reassure him with a pat, "But I don't mind, as long as you don't influence Niall." And the boy grins at that.

 

Harry makes a tea and a coffee, making sure Louis has no sugar in it when the boy suggests so. He simply makes a disgusted face at Louis at the mention of it and Louis flaps at the air as if pretending to smack him.

 

"People do not understand the value of tea." Louis sips at it.

  
         "I can see now." He's being very sarcastic and Louis actually likes it. Strangers are usually struck dumb when he's so direct; sometimes not even Niall understands what lunatic nonsense he mumbles. But Harry...he's one of a kind.

 

-

 

            Time flies by as they watch a movie, almost three quarters into it and comfortably snug on the sofa, Ginger dozing on the carpet. Louis has his head resting on the arm and his legs thrown over Harry’s, lazily playing with the hem of his t-shirt whilst watching Harry. He got bored of watching the movie. He’s watched Lion King a million times and what kind of 20 year old watches Disney now?

 

            Harry moves forward to grab his mug of orange juice when he notices that Louis is very clearly watching him and Louis isn’t even trying to hide it. He simply smirks and quirk an eyebrow when their eyes lock.            

 

             With such slow movements Harry places his mug back on the table, cautiously watching Louis’ expression for a change and then he moves across the sofa in one fluid motion and over to Louis’ lap, pushing him against the arm of the sofa. Louis wraps his arms around Harry’s torso and he in turn locks his legs around Louis’ waist, the two of them flush chest to chest.

 

            Without wasting a second, Harry ducks down to attack at his neck, hungry for the taste of the soft skin there. His tongue licks wet stripes along the length of Louis’ neck, drawing out a strangled moan from him. Louis digs his fingernails into Harry’s sides, through the shirt as his toes curl in pleasure. He sneaks his fingers under the folds of Harry’s t-shirt and skims the expanse of his torso, feeling the toned muscles flex beneath the pads of his flesh. It makes Harry moan loudly into Louis’ skin whilst he trails wet kisses along his neck.

 

            Louis continues to work his hands on Harry’s skin, dragging his nails from his belly button down to his narrow valley, pulling lightly at the short hairs.

 

            “Fuck!” Harry groans, arching his back away from the touch at the sudden pulse of shivers run through him before he comes back down to rub his crotch against Louis’ in slow pulsating circles. The sound of fabric rubbing against one another and guttural moans fill the room, mixed with the smacking of wet, sloppy kisses.

 

            He feels Harry’s chest, tracing his pecs and the nubs of his nipples which feel soft at the first touch. He rolls his thumbs over them, causing them to tighten and grow hard, so sensitive that it makes Harry whine painfully at the back of his throat.

 

            “Off!” He grunts and pulls back so Louis can pull the t-shirt off of him. They stare into each other’s hooded eyes, Harry’s lips swollen and slick with spit that Louis can’t help himself from reaching up to nip at them, Harry’s fingers pulling at his hair. Their tongues dance in a heated kiss, breathing hot air into each other’s mouths, tasting of tea and coffee.

 

            Louis lets Harry take off his t-shirt and then they’re popping the buttons on their jeans. Louis’ lips find Harry’s red nub and he licks over it, rolling his tongue over and over as Harry works off his jeans. The boy keens at the painfully sensitive touch, groaning curses each time Louis nips at them. He continues to suckle until they’re spit slicked and throbbing red that even a brush of his finger has Harry crying out.

 

            Louis is only in his briefs now, Harry furiously rubbing their crotches so desperate for friction and his fingers tightening in around the tufts of Louis’ hair he has a hold of. “Let me take your jeans off.” Louis says, beginning to pull at it and Harry gives a swift nod.

 

            When he’s taken them off, Louis slips his hands under the waistband of Harry’s boxers and cups his cheeks, squeezing and kneading them. He groans at the feel of Harry’s balls knocking against his in the process and he bucks up. He slips a finger along the crack of Harry’s bum and rubs at the tight muscle which drives Harry crazy. He breathes out a strangled _please_. So he gently slips in a finger and feels the touch of something solid.

 

            “Harry?” But the boy says nothing, too focused on the need for release. Louis feels the brush of string against his skin and he pulls, taking a hold of it. With a pop, he feels something solid and metallic slip out. Just the feel of the ball has him closing his eyes in lust, he knows what it is. Pushing the metal ball back in where the rest of them lay snugly in a string, he presses his index on it which in turn possibly presses at Harry’s prostrate because with a high pitched moan Harry arches off of him, his head thrown back in pleasure.

 

            “Do that again.” Harry whispers, too spent to sound any louder. Louis presses harder and watches as Harry bucks into the touch, the skin of his neck exposed when he throws his head back.

 

            Harry immediately cups Louis through his briefs, struggling to get his cock out whilst Louis keeps rubbing at his rim and pushing an occasional finger in. He licks his palm and begins pumping Louis’ cock which causes Louis’ muscles to tighten in bliss.

 

            Its when Harry goes down between Louis’ thighs, to wrap his cherry lips around Louis’ throbbing length does the older boy starts letting out loud moans, mewling through the teeth that bites his lower lip. He tugs at Harry’s hair causing him to gasp, the vibrations of it touching Louis’ cock. The pleasure rises along his spine and he bucks into Harry’s mouth, his fingers absentmindedly tracing the ship tattoo on Harry’s left hand. Harry has his free hand pumping his own cock, working in rhythm and they both can feel the familiar build at the pit of the bellies.

 

            Louis is still fingering him and breathing a string of _Harry_ when the faint squeak of a door opening can be heard. They’re too engrossed in the feel of need and near release to even realize the presence of a human in their vicinity.

           

            In his own foggy mind and hazy vision, Louis barely registers the press of warm lips against his own but he presses back, licking at their lips and prodding his tongue. He can taste the bitter taste of smoke and something familiar to alcohol just at Harry licks at his slit and begins pumping both of their cocks in time to reach their release.

 

            Louis jerks awake and sits up, just as the lips leave his and Harry flops onto his chest, breathing heavily. It’s then that his eyes begin to focus on the other person in the room including everything else. He is sitting up in a very uncomfortable position, Harry’s sweating above him but at least their dicks are hidden and their clothes are on the floor in a messy pile.

 

            His eyes focus on the skinny jeans and the black leather jacket, the white shirt underneath. There’s the brown mess of overgrown curls and almost chubby cherubic cheeks, the jade eyes and the sunken look around them…wait…what? Curls?

 

            Louis brings his hands up to scrub furiously at his eyes, blinking them once, twice but he feels his heart jack rabbit against his ribcage.

 

            “What the actual fuck?” He whispers too soft to be heard.

 

            He gives himself a shake, hoping to clear his head because he knows his brain is too fuzzy from the orgy he just had and it has the very advantage to create illusions and this can’t be fucking real.

 

            Harry is facing the back of the sofa and Louis has his arms around him. He watches the familiar man before him, whose lips are wet from the kiss they had seconds ago and very cautiously Louis shakes Harry’s shoulder.

 

            “Haz.” He pats his back, not taking his eyes off the person in case he disappears. He hopes Harry sees nothing so that he can merely confirm he’s been bloody dreaming. “Get up Harold! Fuck!”

 

            “What? “ Harry yawns, lifting his head to look at Louis but Louis isn’t looking at him so he twists to turn around and then he goes “Oh.” Louis feels shocked because what the fuck? Harry is back to lying on top of him and he’s just said _oh_ as if he’s realized something only now and Louis is well… feeling kind of lost here but he’s not taking his bloody eyes of that figure.

 

            “What oh?” He asks in a firm tone, pushing at Harry’s shoulder, “Do you see what I’m seeing?”

 

            Harry starts laughing at that and he just wants to smack him square on the head because this situation is not funny and they’re fucking naked.

 

            “Harry.” He groans, “Stop laughing. I’m serious here. You better explain whatever this is.” Because this man is not moving and hasn’t moved for the past few minutes.

 

            Harry sits up, calm as fuck and grins at Louis. Louis scrambles to pick up his clothes to cover his exposed crotch, flushing. “This is Gabe, Louis.” And Louis blanches because what? He must be staring at Harry open mouthed because the boy gives him a soft smile and continues, “This is my twin and Gabe, this is Louis.”

 

            Twin? Twin as in Harry has a twin? He has a brother? His name is Gabe?

 

            “Harry. I’m having trouble processing this.” Louis says cautiously, his fists tightening over his clothes. He’s feeling furious too because he feels fooled and this man had kissed him too, whatever his name is.

 

            With a sigh Harry begins explaining, “Lou, Gabe and I planned this thing where we took turns attending certain classes because my entire schedule was fucked up for this semester.” Louis wants to ask _what about Gabe’s schedule?_ “So I’m sure you’ve met him in pottery lessons quite a few times.” Louis just nods along. “I’m sorry for not telling you, the opportunity never came up. He was the _G_ Liam was talking about that time too.”

 

            “Which of you did I kiss first?” Louis blurts out, feeling lost in the maze of complication now.

 

            Harry turns to him bug eyed at that and the twins both chorus a “Me!”

 

            Louis huffs out a breath of air and crosses his arms over his chest as Harry now turns to look at his brother with a shocked expression, Gabe mirroring something similar but Louis can see right through the fake expression. Louis stands up and begins walking backwards, away from the two of them and towards to the kitchen.

 

            “I-“He begins, “Just give me a few seconds.” He doesn’t wait for either of them to nod or give permission, simply runs into the kitchen and immediately begins putting on his clothes.

 

            Now that he concentrates on it, he can fit the pieces of the puzzle, leaning against the marble counter in the kitchen. Gabe's the one attending classes on Thursdays. Harry doesn't reek of smoke and beer, Harry's not like Gabe. There's a huge fucking difference when he reflects upon it in and how he never realized the little bits of oddity, makes him quite furious. Gabe's the one wearing the fucking leather and not even caring about classes, had kept conversation with Louis to a minimum even but he had the fucking nerve to kiss him.

 

            And Harry, he's the one who's so delightful and bright and just about laughs at everything. Yet, he didn't inform him of a twin brother. Louis just doesn't understand how he could do that. Like how could someone simply forget to mention they have a twin brother? Is it that hard to remember siblings? Or does Harry have like a short memory?

 

            Louis doesn't even know what he's supposed to do now. He knows he kissed Harry first and then Gabe but which one did he mean to? Then there's Gabe who simply went with it. Was it because he didn't want to let out the secret or because he didn't know Harry had snogged Louis first? Does he confront the two about leading him on? Does he ask which one of them genuinely likes him because he's pretty sure he's confused on which of them he likes. Does he ask why they took advantage of him? "God, this is so fucked up!" He groans in exasperation through clenched teeth. He throws his head back to stare at the ceiling, his hands gripping the edge of the counter and feet crossed.

 

            "Lou?" It's a soft whisper, almost as if the speaker is afraid of what he's going to hear and Louis feels bad about what he's going to do next.

 

            He looks to the doorway, where Harry is standing now in his boxers and his arms twitching at his sides.

 

            "Yes?" Louis replies.

 

               "I'm sorry." Harry's got his head down now, as if he's actually ashamed of what's happened, "I'm really truly sorry I didn't tell you about this before. I didn't think much of it either. And I didn't know you and Gabe you know..." He moves his hand in the air in indication, "kissed and all that."

              Clearing his throat to hide the sadness he's feeling he replies, "Gabe and I just kissed, that's all, we did nothing else." Harry raises his head to watch him, nodding along. "I feel tricked to be honest and it's really fucking weird to be aware that there's an exact replica of you in the hall. And I didn't even know it! Like is it really that bloody hard to remember you've got a brother and to even mention him in our conversations? Like I know you have a sister, why didn't you mention Gabe?" He rubs his face in frustration, "Fuck, this is so exerting."

              Harry doesn't say anything for awhile, just stares at Louis, fiddling with his thumbs in front of him.

     

               "Harry." Louis says firmly because he's not going to put up with this anymore. The boy is looking at him with a look so sorrowful that Louis' vocal cords just aren't letting him yell out his irritation. "You've gotta stop doing that. This is serious."

 

              "Gabe and I..." Harry begins but then he stops as if the sentence is going to burn his tongue. Louis can see his throat visibly moving as he swallows.

 

               He sighs and cards his fingers through his hair. "Gabe and you what Harry?!"

 

               "We just don't get along. I don’t like mentioning him much."

 

              And what has that got to do with anything, especially with Louis? "That doesn't matter to me right now Harry." He grits his teeth. Everything feels so cramped right now, so humid and just too messy to even think about. The ceiling could fall on them right now even, he wishes it would, and then he wouldn't have to speak of the enormity of thoughts that are raging within him. Louis just wants to go back to his flat and sleep this off and not think of it. He won't have to see either of the twins, hopefully. He doesn't even know what he's feeling right now. It doesn't feel like pure anger or else he'd be bashing his fists against the marble. "I don't know what to feel, honestly! And you stand here as if you're the victim. Fuck, I don't even know which one of you I like now, it's all so messed up and I just...ugggh"

 

              "Lou-"

 

              "This is not the time to Lou me Harry." Louis shouts, feeling incredibly lost in a maze of emotions that he can't handle what’s coming out of his mouth. He pushes past Harry and heads to the hall where his satchel is sat on a table. Picking it up, he rushes across the hallway, not even sparing a glance to see if Gabe's around and turns the knob of the door.

 

            "Where are you going?" Harry's calling out, almost pleading.

 

              "I need time to myself." Louis replies as low as he can because there are neighbours and he needs to keep the shouting to a minimum when in reality he just wants to scream his lungs and pull out his hair. He doesn't know which one of them is being dramatic, he or Harry. And where the godforsaken arse Gabe, has gone to he has no idea because he's nowhere near their vicinity. "I need to think and I just...fuck I need to go."

 

              He doesn't waste a moment, stepping out hastily and taking the elevators but he can smell smoke in the corridor and he doesn't need to look to know who it is.

 

-

 

            Niall doesn’t question him when he gets home to find Louis, sprawled face down on the sofa, a half finished bottle of beer accompanying him on the coffee table. He greets him with a "Get your arse aside." And when Louis fails to cooperate in giving him some space, Niall pushes his legs off the sofa. They fall to the floor haphazardly and Louis grunts. Niall flicks on the television, takes a sip of the beer and settles in, pulling Louis' legs onto his lap and giving them a pat.

 

            This is why Louis loves the Irishman. What better friend to have than one who understands personal space except when Niall barges into the bathroom to brush his teeth in the morning while Louis' in the shower. That's the type of personal space Niall will never understand or adapt to.

 

            Louis doesn't see Harry neither Gabe the next week. He skips class, thinking it would barely make a condescending aspect to fail him. Harry doesn't text him either and Niall keeps his mouth zipped. The older boy however makes up for his issues by heading to the bar by himself. It's Niall who had to eventually haul his arse from the place and get him into bed, all the while Louis grumbling about how much he hates a curly haired boy and why he doesn't understand what he feels for him.

 

            It's a week of pure torture. A week of feeling angry one moment and not wanting to see anyone's face, much less professors' faces and feeling confused and emotional the next second that he gets into bed with Niall and expects him to comfort him. It's a surprise Niall bears him for that long until he actually corners him one Tuesday afternoon.

 

            The television is on to an episode of Friends and there's also music blasting throughout the flat, Niall is afraid the neighbours are going to file a complaint. Louis though is pulling out a pack of six beers and Niall knows that that's that.

 

            He aggressively takes the pack of beers from Louis and firmly sets it on the table. "What the fuck Niall!" Louis shouts, reaching for the beer again when he's blocked.

 

            Niall points to the sofa and says, "Now. Don't test my patience."

 

            The older boy stomps his foot like a child and doesn't move. His arms folded across his chest like an obstacle between them and lips quirked in an angry expression.

 

            "Louis, don't make me say it again."

 

            The boy can be stubborn. He's a Tomlinson after all; all Tomlinsons have it in their DNA.

 

            "When I get back from having a change of clothes." Niall begins, pointing a finger at Louis and keeping a strict stance, "You better be sitting on that couch and the beer better not be touched at all." And then he leaves, a few quick steps away from an angry boy and out of the kitchen into his bedroom.

 

            Louis does eventually take a seat after having peeked around the wall to see if Niall had actually gone into his room. He could flee, put on his shoes and get the fuck out but he knows he had it coming. Some things are eventually inevitable.

 

            He's got his feet tucked under his bum and head propped on his palm, leaning against the arm of the one seater when Niall comes back. He's got the pack of beer on tow and Louis reaches for them with grabby hands like a little kid. Niall hands him one, takes one for himself and pushes the pack under the table with his foot.

 

            "What's going on?" He dives straight into it and there's not even a distraction for Louis to focus on.

 

            He breaks the tab on the can and it sounds with a heavy fizz before he takes a gulp, tasting the bitter liquid at the back of his tongue. "I have no idea either."

 

            "What did Harry do Lou? Why are you so moody?"

 

            "I'm not moody. I'm far from it."

 

            "Okay." Niall raises his eyebrows, "Why do you look like you're about to kill someone every second then?"

 

            "That's worse." Louis grunts, swallowing another gulp.

 

            "What's worse is if you keep stalling."

 

            "There's nothing you will be able to do whether I choose to satisfy you with an answer or not."

 

            "What makes you think so?" The blonde grins, tipping his head for a drink, "I can phone your mum, take away your shoes, take my Nandos card from you and I could even grill Harry about this supposed drama.

 

            Louis points a finger at him and goes, "Those are threats."

 

            "That's the point." And Louis sends a glare his way.

 

            "It's Harry." Louis sighs in resignation, "He has a twin and I've been screwing both of them."

 

            "Wait! What?!" Niall's sitting up straight as if a beam of concrete had just fallen on him, "A twin? And what the hell do you mean you screwed them both? Louis you-"

 

            "Shut up for a second." He groans and palms his face. He rests his head against the sofa and takes in a deep breath, "I have no idea which one of them I like first of all. They've both been taking craft classes in turns and Harry says he forgot to mention Gabe to me. He doesn't get along with him but I mean that's a bullshit excuse."

 

            "You're mad at Harry?"

 

            "Yes, I am. And I'm mad at myself for being stupid and I'm confused at the same time and sad and just want to bang my head against a wall."

 

            Niall laughs at that. "I don't want to be the one giving your mum answers when you end up in a ward in the hospital. Whom did you kiss first though?"

 

            "Harry."

 

            "It's Gabe you should be angry at then."

 

            "It's Harry who made no mention of him."

           

            "Think for a moment Lou. You'll figure it out. You've got to spend some time with them is all."

 

            "I will not."

 

            "You will. I know you will. It's startling at first but you snogged them both and Gabe should know better than to take advantage of you."

 

            "What do you mean?" Louis asks, looking at Niall with a ferocious intensity.

 

            "When did you kiss Gabe?"

 

            "Outside crafts class. I missed Harry, thought it was him and kissed him. Why?"

 

            "So there's that." Niall slumps against the back of the sofa, "If you kissed him then he should be well aware that you did it because you'd done it before with Harry. He should have backed off."

 

            "We kissed late in the booth at the cafe later." Louis groans, "Maybe he liked me too or maybe only he likes me. Maybe Harry’s not the one who likes me in the mess."

 

            "Don't be stupid."

 

            "I am though."

 

            Niall places his empty can of beer on the coffee table and holds out his arms. "Come here." Louis comes to him easily, sliding across his chair over to the sofa and cuddles into Niall. Niall holds him tight against his chest and places his head atop Louis' mop of greasy hair. The bugger hasn't taken a bath, he wants to fake gag. Louis wraps an arm around Niall's waist and fists one against his chest. He shuts his eyes and inhales the boy's scent, musky and Niallish. It feels home because home is his mum's and Niall and his flat. They stay like that for quite some time, Louis' legs heavy as logs on the rest of the sofa.

 

            Louis extracts himself from Niall's embrace because it's starting to get suffocating but he doesn't move away, instead flops his head onto Niall's lap and points at the television.

 

            That's how they spend the rest of the evening. A piece of languid heaviness taken away from their shoulders, a new episode and a pack of beers.

 

-

           Monday, Louis comes home to find Zayn occupying their sofa, head bent low and concentrated on a drawing.

 

            "Hello there!" Louis greets him as he toes of his shoes by the door, "Haven't seen you in awhile."

 

            Zayn looks up at him with a grin and nods. "Yeah. Niall invited me over. Says he's gonna die from the lack of human interaction now that his best mate has other matters."

 

            "Is that so?"

 

            "Hmm." Zayn smirks, "I genuinely think your other matters should be solved soon."

 

            He plops down on the sofa beside Zayn and groans before sliding to rest his head on the arm. "This is so unfair."

 

            "What is?"

 

            "You and Niall ganging up on me." He softly kicks at Zayn's shoulder when the boy had resumed his focus on his work, "It's supposed to be the other way round."

 

            "I haven't teamed up with anyone."

 

            Louis rolls his eyes at that but there's a knock on the door and Niall's rushing out of his bedroom like a car on fire. Louis and Zayn glance at each other before returning their gazes towards the door in anticipation of who's got Niall so excited that he's not even got his shirt on.

 

            Niall is at the door for an insane amount of time and they can hear voices muttering. A few minutes later he's giggling and then bursts out laughing like a hyena. Louis' itching to know who the fuck it is before the door is pushed open wider and Niall comes back in, Liam Payne right behind him.

 

            Their eyes lock just as Liam crosses the threshold, Niall beside him with glee. "Oh hi!" Liam goes, shyly waving at Zayn and Louis.

 

            Zayn's quick to return the gesture with an introduction to himself while Louis sits there like he'd been informed that a cyclone is about to hit their building. No one notices it though. Niall hurries to get some beer from the kitchen while Zayn pops a movie into the DVD player.

 

            So Louis confronts Niall in the kitchen. "You invited Liam." He says. It's not a question. He can see Niall nodding from where he's got his head inside the fridge.

 

            "You do know he's Harry's best mate and house mate right." Louis points out because it's making him feel nervous by the minute.

 

            "I am aware, yes."

 

            "Then-"

 

            "Just because you have shit to deal with Harry doesn't mean I have to avoid my boyfriend."

 

            "Oh." The statement stuns him and he's mouth is gaping in disbelief. "You're boyfriends?"

 

            Niall swivels at him, a tint of red hinting at his cheeks. "I--yeah-" He scratches the nape of his neck, diverting his eyes anywhere but at Louis, "Sort of. It's not confirmed."

 

            Louis snorts, "And you say I've got to get my shit together." Niall glares at him in response but the boy nods at him with a smile. "Come on. We've got a day of movies and beer before we go out for dinner."

 

            "You're paying this time."

 

            "Just this once." Louis agrees, "Because you've got a _not yet_ boyfriend."

 

            "You're the worst."

 

            "I know."

 

-

 

              He makes it a point not to attend classes on Thursday until he has everything figured out and figured out as in from head to toe, complete with an explanation and an apology. And he's not the one who'll be apologizing.

 

              So it's Tuesday, bright and early that he wakes up to no alarm because Niall's one is already ringing and can probably be heard two doors down. Louis' not in a hurry really but he's got adrenaline wildly pumping through his veins and he's sort of feeling jumpy, hence the random skips he makes when entering the kitchen. Niall gives him an odd look but he's got a smile.

 

              "You seeing Harry today?" He's making cheese toasties and Louis' taste buds are beginning to sweat from the rich smell wafting from the stove.

 

              "Yup." Louis nods, searching through the fridge for a carton of juice. When he finds an apple one, he uncaps the lid and tips the carton into his mouth, "Hopefully it goes well."

 

               Niall hums, swaying to the soft music floating from the iPod he has placed over the counter. "You're on your toes. I'll say you're excited to see him."

 

              "I was a man who could not understand what I felt a few days ago Nialler." Louis rolls his eyes, "I like to think I've got my priorities right."

 

              "You got that right."

 

              "You bloody bastard!"

 

              Niall starts laughing and Louis jumps onto his back, wrapping his arms around his neck and legs around his waist.

 

      "Onwards you filthy creature." Louis shouts, thrusting his hand in the air, fist curled around an invisible sword. Laughing along with him, Niall turns off the stove and runs out of the kitchen to the hall where he dumps Louis on the sofa. The boy tackles him onto the rug on the floor and they wrestle each other before Niall manages to sneak his fingers to tickle at Louis' side.

 

      Louis' eyes are quickly threatening to spill tears even though he's trying so hard not to, by squeezing them shut. "Fucking stop that." He wheezes while he laughs, "I'll kill you." Niall sits back on his heels when his back hurts from staying bent over for too long and chuckles as Louis' recovers from the tickle fight to take his revenge.

 

      "We've got class. Come on." Niall says, getting off the floor and extending an arm towards Louis, who's heaving with his breaths.

 

      Louis refuses to have the cheese toasties that have gone cold instead snatching the new ones from the plate Niall flips onto from the pan and runs a good distance away, laughing wickedly as he does so.

 

      They get to campus together, taking the shortcut across a park and over a fence simply because Louis insisted that they do so since there are two of them. It's fun, they trade stories about each other’s time at the bar with their own group of friends and Louis teases Niall on how he can't stop staring at Liam and Niall teases him in return. "Remember the time when you ran out on that guy Felix or someone because you freaked out in the middle of giving a blowjob?" He goes. Louis plugs his fingers into his ears because it's embarrassing, it was his first time. How was he supposed to know shit?

 

      They part ways near the theatre and Louis heads inside for his first class of the day.

 

      After lunch which he spends the time by himself, he heads towards the building where craft classes are held. Louis is genuinely shaking at the thought of seeing Harry after so long. He had missed him, of course he had, still does to the point where he wants to pull at his hair and curse at the walls.

 

      Harry had become the highlight of his new term. He is the bottle of glue in the weeks Louis had known him, he had always managed to cut Louis' corners, keeping him on his toes and understanding him in a way people had never understood Louis. He misses the boy's smile and his infectious laughter, the way his eyes would gleam when Louis made him laugh, the way he'd easily get so appetent at hearing Louis' reckless adventures as a teenager or when Louis would suggest they prank call people. It felt so bountiful that sometimes he felt he could burst in ardent jubilance.

 

      And now he's a few classrooms away from seeing Harry and his lively jade eyes again and the plump rose lips he had once tasted and could still recall their touch. He's going to see the boy he wanted so badly and now feel so much for, again, and he's sweating. His palms are clammy and he can feel the heat on his neck as he keeps his walking to a slow pace.

 

      Outside the door, he checks the time on his phone and he knows he's late. Gently his fingers twist the knob and nudge the door open in shaken fear of what his eyes are to meet.

 

      Mr. Gallaway is standing in front of a board where coloured pieces of paper have been tacked onto in a pattern but it's incomplete. He immediately recognizes it as the mosaic art illustrated in his plan paper. Upon his presence a number of heads turn his way and takes in his attire which makes him feel conscious for the first time. He has always loved being the centre of attention, loved having people acknowledge his presence but now it’s different because he’s not feeling all that confident.

 

      In the middle of all the chaos he's feeling, Harry is staring at him bug eyed and surprised. It is only when Mr. Gallaway notices Louis standing by the door, red crawling up his neck and nods for him to enter that he releases a breath of air and walks to the only empty seat in the room, right next to Harry.

 

      Soundlessly he places his bag on the floor, pulls the stool a bit away from Harry and takes his seat, pointedly glaring at the mosaic art Mr. Gallaway is constructing on the board. He's teaching them the basics, which is to first learn the process of cutting, pasting, arranging and developing the idea by using paper before they go onto tile and other forms.

 

      An inner force violently tugs him towards Harry as if its confinement has finally taken a toll and is intolerable to endure any longer. Fists clenched on his thighs under the table, Louis keeps his focus trained in front of him. Whatever Mr. Gallaway is explaining makes no sense to him because unconsciously the words enter through one ear and leaves through the other. He is too aware of Harry's presence to pay attention to anything. The curly haired boy is right next to him, inches away and he could lift a hand and touch him. He could say 'hi' or how much he's missed him.

 

      Everything feels tangled and bunched up inside him though, he can't get himself to man up and say something. He wants Harry to look at him, to speak to him, to say that he wants to keep seeing him. He misses him so much and fuck if he loses this one chance, he'll be too cowardly to come back to classes afterwards and he'll never get to see the boy.

 

      With voracity pulling him one way and the disinterest of having his fears come true pulling him the other way, it leaves him very unsettled throughout the entire class. Louis inattentively moves the pieces of unevenly cut coloured construction paper around, barely forming any sort of pattern.

 

      When the class is dismissed and everyone scurries to get out, stuffing their books and utensils into the bags, Louis stays back and languidly packs his stuff. Solemn and resigned he hefts the bag onto his shoulder and walks across the classroom with his head down. He's fucked it all up.

 

      "Lou" and the sound of his name, echoing in the room, it makes him jump and his heart flutters. He'd know that voice in a sea of people anywhere.

 

      Louis turns around with the slowness to that of a tortoise but in that moment it would have been anything but funny from the way he clenches his fists in nervousness and bites his lower lip. His eyes take in the boy before him, a high bun resting upon the top of his head and a dark blue trench coat over a white t-shirt. He looks gorgeous, striking. Louis coughs to divert his attention to Harry's face.

 

      "Lou." Harry repeats and it is all Louis can do but keep staring at the boy.

 

      "I-I'm really sorry Lou. I've missed you so much." He looks away as he brings up his hand at the same time to card through his hair then on realization that it's in a bun, he slides it down the back of his neck, "Fuck! I just- please. I want to know where we stand. If you don't want me around, just say so but please I can't stand this silence."

 

      Louis swallows his guilt and opens his mouth to speak but there's nothing that he can think of to say, so he just shuts up and Harry deflates at his reaction.

 

      "Please. Please say something."

 

      "I don't know what to say Harry." He finally croaks out, wincing at the sound of his voice. He is not about to cry. Fuck no!

 

       "Do you not want to see me again?" Does he? Of course he wants to see him; of course he wants the cherubic, brightly lit boy around him no matter what.

 

      He gives a brief nod and replies in a whisper. "I do want to see you." He thinks he hears the breath of relief Harry exhales.

 

      "Okay. Thank fuck!" Harry laughs both from the distress he had been feeling and the hopeful repose he has been granted. He takes a few cautious steps towards Louis in concern to see if he'd step away or not and when Louis makes no move to walk away even though he noticed Harry's intentions Harry throws himself right at Louis. His arms come to wrap around the boy's shoulders and he hides his face in the crook of Louis neck, laughing in relief.

 

      Louis wraps his arms around Harry's waist and gives into the hug, smiling to himself because God he's missed the fucker so much.

 

      "I'm so sorry." Harry smiles when he pulls back, "I've just missed you."

 

      Louis gives him a soft smile, "Me too." Harry punches him on the arm at that and they both fall into a fit of giggles. "Lunch?" Louis offers and the taller boy nods.

 

      They pick up their satchels and head out of the empty classroom into the hallway that's so still you could hear a pin drop. Louis texts Niall a monkey emoticon on the way. He knows the blonde would decipher the message he is trying to get across to him.

 

      Louis suggests that they buy their lunch and have it at the park so they could talk freely without nosy people listening in. Harry tells him that no one's really going to be listening to what two boys sitting in a booth are talking about but Louis just raises an eyebrow and grins at him. He wants to be with Harry somewhere freeing where there's not going to be a lot of people. He just wants to speak to him and be in his presence without the pressure of having others around for now, to help ease himself.

 

      When they're comfortably seated on the white benches lining the border of the park, Louis speaks his mind. He really has nothing to lose now after all that's happened. He can feel the buzzing of his phone in his pocket instinctively letting him know that it is very likely Niall replying. "So um Gabe. How's he?" Delaying the questioning of the elephant in the room would only end up hurting them both and Louis' always been personally good at speaking his mind, a trait that would keep his relationships strong in the long haul.

 

      Harry whips his head so fast, stunned by the question that Louis thinks he probably got whiplash and he wants to laugh. The boy fumbles with his words before forming a coherent sentence, "Yes-I mean yeah, he's uh doing good. Can we not talk about him?"

 

      "Why not?" Louis asks aiming the crumpled food wrapper and throwing it into the green bin a few feet away. He leans back on his seat and tuck one hand behind his neck to rest his head on and the other, holding his food. "We do have to eventually talk about it."

 

      He watches the younger boy study the small pond located to the right of them where a few ducks are waddling in. He's seen a variety of beautiful fish in it but he's willing to bet some of them have been gobbled down by those yellow creatures Harry claims to be as cute. He doesn't push the boy either unlike he usually would, he's not an annoyance like that.

 

 

      Harry takes his time finishing his meal and when he stands up to throw the rubbish, Louis gets up himself, stretching his back so he can hear it pop. He then resumes towards the abandoned swings hoping Harry would follow him. He's getting this talk done and today in itself.

 

      Louis sits on the rubber seat of the swing and holds the rusted chains as he lightly lifts his feet so he can swing. The swing squeaks in protest which reminds him of the time back in school when he used to swing so high so that he could jump off the seat. He turns around to tell the story to Harry out of instinct only to see Harry standing some distance away, watching him.

 

      "Haz." Louis beckons him with a hand, "Come on." Harry throws a smile at him and very shyly approaches. "Swing with me." And Louis begins retelling his tale.

 

      Harry laughs at Louis' story, fascinated by it as he always is, questioning whether he had ever fallen, to which Louis replies with a curt shake of his head. "I was always warned though to stop doing it." He laughs, looking up at the bright sky as he fondly reminisces, "Said I'd get me head cracked."

 

      "I used to drive in one of those powered toy cars," Harry says, "I'd drive around the garden and greet every passing stranger." It's not funny but it makes Louis imagine of a smaller, chubby and angelic little boy riding a red car and greeting strangers. It makes him want to get to know Harry more, whether he got his looks from his mum or whether he and his sister has similarities like Louis does with his own.

 

      "They must have thought what a wonderful, cheerful kid you are." Louis replies without thinking, "Brightening up their morning or evening with your impossibly cute voice and waving stubby fingers at them."

 

      Harry gasps, "I did not have stubby fingers.

 

      The older boy laughs, "You absolutely did. I know it." which makes Harry grin and shake his head with an underlying fondness. But then Louis also remembers the other boy, the one who looks exactly like the boy he's sitting beside.

 

      Had Gabe been like Harry? Had he done the things Harry had? Had they shared everything together? It surprises him that's he's never really seen the two of them acting all brotherly or how twins usually do. On one hand, he barely had the opportunity to. When he walked away a few weeks back so that counts as a reason of his unawareness but Harry had also mentioned something along the lines of them _not getting along_ which hadn't failed to linger at the back of Louis' mind.

 

      "What is it like to have a twin?" He inquires cautiously, fiddling with his thumbs as something to do while the soles of his shoes drag against the tar carpet under the swing.

 

      He hears Harry draw out a sigh as if thinking of his own brother is causing him great distress, something he has long decided to put away. "Used to be fun." He finally replies but he isn't looking at Louis.

 

      Louis looks to him in confusion, "What do you mean by _used_?"

 

      "He's just not the same anymore." Harry’s back slouches and he stops swinging altogether, bringing his hands to entwine his fingers on his lap. He seems to almost be living the memories of everything that had changed by the look of absence obscuring his features. Louis does theatre. It's his job to create dramatic scenes. "We used to be amazing brothers, so close like every other twin out there. We shared everything from secrets to heartache. And then he grew up I guess."

 

      "You grew up too Harry." Louis points out. It gives him an odd feeling that it is him who is now sharing certain things in Harry's life when there used to be an identical, once.

 

      "He did the most of it." Harry's eyes begin to water and Louis wants to hold him close. He has the urge to bury his nose in Harry's curls and ask him not to cry because it's going to make him bawl. "He began going out too much after dad left. Started smoking so much and drinking almost every night. He was on drugs for awhile and it was Gemma who was there for me then. I hated him. Hated him so much for leaving me to pick up the pieces with Gemma and then to have to pick him up too in the end. He'd bring someone home almost once a week when no one was at home but I was. I couldn't even leave my own room. Everything was a mess, from my mum not eating to Gemma and I having to hold each other at night and Gabe dealing with it in his own way which meant leaving me behind. I was grateful for having my sister but she wasn’t like him in some ways, she didn’t understand certain things about me like he did."

 

      He feels the need to ask him to stop because now his heart feels like it’s going to punch a hole through his chest and walk out at the thought of Harry crying and grieving for his dad, then having to patch things up. He moves across his seat and kneels in front of Harry, placing his hands on his knees.

 

      Harry looks at him only for a moment before he continues. "We were only fourteen Lou. Fourteen years old even if it was sort of a mature age but I wasn't really mature with the best decisions and the smartest moves. Gabe was. He had friends even before I could blink my eyes and nineteen year Gemma didn't know what he was putting me through until she found me crying in the bathroom. He was my twin Louis, almost like my other half, we did everything together and this one thing broke us apart. This was the one thing that almost ruined my family and it ruined us. It was the one thing we never got through together. That was the last time we were twins."

 

      “Haz.” He says softly in pained effort, moving closer so the boy can place his head on his shoulder. Harry sniffles into his t-shirt and he can feel the wetness seeping through the material and to his skin as Harry's arms tighten around his torso. "Shhh Haz. I'm so sorry." He continues to try to calm him. Harry fists his t-shirt and lets out a broken sob, his body convulsing with the force of it. Louis presses a kiss near his ear, feeling the springy bits of curls there tickle his nose. It's the best he can do. The boy feels so fragile in his arms right now; he's not the boy he first met in crafts class, cheeky and rich smiles. He's the boy with a past that had broken his heart and torn his brother away from him. "It's all happened now Haz. It's all okay now. Gabe's still with you. He's alive. It's all that matters."

 

      Harry shakes his head in disagreement, lips working against Louis' t-shirt as if he's trying to form words through his devastation. "Hey. Haz sweetheart." Louis tries, feeling the boy shake so much in his arms that it is beginning to scare him, "Breath with me darling. " He can feel Harry nod and he places his hand on the boy's chest, over his clothes, between them. "Let me feel you breathe. Come on darling. Please breathe with me."

 

      It takes some time for Harry to get back into focus. He goes from rapid breathing to robust, regular and even breaths along to the rhythm of Louis' own demonstrated intakes and exhalation.

 

      "Okay?" Louis asks with a soft smile when Harry pulls back marginally to look at him, head placed sideways on the edge of Louis' shoulder so he has to turn his head to look back at Harry. Harry nods, his eyes wet with tears still clinging to his lashes and tear tracks marking down his cheeks.

 

      "Mum married Robin a few years later." He continues, diverting his eyes to the vertical metal pole of the swing set. "She didn't know that our step dad treated us so unjustly. I took the blame for most of Gabe's wrong doings." Louis wants to nail Gabe's arse to the wall now. How much could the guy fuck up? "He came out during dinner and Robin didn't take it lightly." Harry hiccups and keeps silent for a beat before he resumes, "He asked me to pretend as if it was I who was gay and had announced it at the table. Even though I was technically gay myself but no one knew it for quite a long time and I agreed to it. That was the first mistake I made." First mistake? It's all becoming too much for him process and he can only imagine the turmoil Harry is going through. And Gabe. Does Gabe even worry about what he had done? Does he even think about his brother? He's a real arsehole in Louis’ opinion.

 

      "He'd hide his drugs in my room before Robin could catch him but Robin never really found the drugs that were in my room and even some nights I pretended that I was the one who had gone out and not him. At eighteen he left and we never heard from him after that." The thought that Gabe had chosen to have a room for himself makes Louis frown in slighted anger because how does one ditch someone they were born with on the same day? Louis can't even go a few weeks without phoning home to just hear his sisters squabble in the background and his mother to pamper him over the phone.

 

      "Until a year ago, when I bumped into him at a bar, it was such a surprise but it shouldn’t have been because out of all the places I could have met him, it was at the very heart of his darkened soul. And now he's so fucked that he's staying at our flat and the only thing he could offer in return was to attend some of my classes that I wasn't able to make it to." Harry hides his face in the crook of Louis' neck again, silently weeping but Louis can feel the trickle of his tears against his neck. He rubs his palm up and down Harry's back to comfort him, his left hand cradling Harry's head.

 

      Louis' knees are beginning to cramp from the bent position he's been in for a long time and it's making him uncomfortable to keep still. He gently pats Harry's cheeks to get him to look at him. "My legs are going to snap from being cramped for so long. Let's sit on the bench." It startles a laugh out of the soft eyed boy which makes Louis' heart skip a beat. It has always thrilled him to see Harry happy. Nothing makes him more joyous than a completely gleeful Harry. He managed to make him laugh within the quiet few minutes and that's enough faith for him that Harry would gradually be smiling and get back to being himself.

 

      Harry stands up, his knees almost giving out under him if not for the immediate hand Louis places around his waist, steadying him. Even though he is the taller one, he leans against Louis' side, letting Louis carrying all of his weight. He grunts and lightly pinches Harry's bum in hopes that he'd display more of some sort of positive reaction and he does. He jumps and squeaks in protest, "Louuuu" and swats at his hand.

 

      Seated at the bench now, comfortable and relaxed Harry props his head on Louis' shoulder and lets Louis wrap an arm around his waist as the two of them simply watch the ducks and the swaying trees, feeling the serenity of it soothe them. "I hate Gabe for what he did to you." Louis agilely puts, letting the wind carry away the words, "You'll have to forgive me if that offends you but that's the honesty of how I feel."

 

      "I don't mind." Harry hums, adjusting his head and in turn jostles Louis. "He's done all the damage he could do. Whatever we used to have long ago, all those memories, they came with a price I guess."

 

      "Harry-" But the boy shushes him with a finger.

 

      "It's true. Those memories were priceless, beloved and they used to keep me alive in the beginning but now they never cease to bring with them an incurable amount of dismaying pain and I'm not sad about it either. I think its better that way."

 

      Louis can't help but ask why he thinks so. "Then I don't have to crave for what we used to have."

 

      He's smart and clever with all these little quirks to himself. Louis can't help being proud of him. Not only does he go through so much shit but in the end he figures it out or tries to, at least.

 

      Yet Louis had never mustered enough courage to figure out his shit by himself, he'd cry and be angry then go through denial and drink before he spends weeks moping until finally someone would come to get him out of the house. Harry's brave, really really brave and fucking strong. He wants to tell it to the boy but the words don't seem to come out. They're all tangled at the back of his throat like noodles. He sticks to tucking Harry's hair behind his ear instead.

 

      “Would you spend a movie night with us if I invited you?” Louis asks after a calm silence has passed over them.

 

      Harry nods against his shoulder and mumbles a very faint, “Of course. I’ve always loved movie nights with you guys.”

 

      “Okay then.” Louis grins to himself, “Tomorrow night.”

 

      “Why not tonight?” The boy questions.

 

      “Zayn’s not available and Niall likes it a lot more when all five of us are present.” He answers absently.

 

      “You mean Niall’s already brought Liam to ya’lls flat for a movie night?” Harry asks in shock and Louis nods. “Without me? That bastard!”

 

      It makes Louis chuckle. “We sort of had a dispute remember?”

 

      “Oh so it was at a time as such.”

 

      “Hmmm.”

 

      “That I can forgive.”

 

      He waits for a beat of silence before continuing his question. “We are alright now aren’t we?”

 

      “I’d like to think so Harry.” Louis cranes his neck to stare at the vehement beauty, “I wouldn’t have lent you my t-shirt to wet with your salty tears if not.”

 

      “That’s mean.” Harry turns his lips into a pouty expression. It endears Louis that it makes him shake with laughter. “I thought friends came first before everything else.”

 

      “Like?”

 

      “Like feelings?”

 

      Louis quiets at that, abruptly turning his head away in hopes that Harry won’t be able to see his increasingly reddening cheeks. He then proceeds to tap his wristwatch in indication and stands up, extending a hand to Harry. “I’m almost near to being late to class again.” He chuckles, “Let’s get going.”

 

      “I don’t have any.” Harry dusts the back of his jeans. “But I could accompany you to the grounds.”

 

      “That’s a nice offer. I’ll take it.”

 

      -

 

      He freaks out on Thursday, running around the flat on sock clad feet and stuffing his bag with his class related notebooks, muttering curses under his breath.

 

      “Someone would think you were just informed of a death.” Louis grunts in irritation. “But I’m going to assume its curly head.”

 

      “This is not the time Niall.” He throws a cushion within arm’s reach, at the boy.

 

      Niall catches it and tosses it back to its proper place on the sofa and leans against the wall. “If it’s stressing you out like this then anytime is a good time to talk about whatever is going on.”

 

      “If you don’t shut up I will personally duct tape your mouth.”

 

      “Doesn’t faze me.” He pulls out his tongue at Louis when the boy mocks him. “What is it?” Niall tacks on. “What’s going on?”

 

      “It’s Thursday.” Louis slams the answer, digging through the cushion for a paintbrush he had accidentally let slip a day ago.”

 

      “So?”

 

      “Gabe.” That name alone is enough to get Niall away from the wall and place his hands on Louis’ shoulders, making him pause at whatever he is doing.

 

      “You either sit away from that guy or don’t even make conversation with him.”

 

      “I was hoping for something more comforting.” Louis laughs but Niall squeezes his arms in kind reassurance, meaning that he is actually being serious right now. “Thanks Nialler. It’s up to me really what happens next. I mean I can’t avoid him forever.”

 

      “True.” Niall sighs, “Just don’t do anything stupid.”

 

      Louis does a salute, a maniac grin upon his face, his tense posture having drained away. “Duly noted. I’ll text you if I need my saviour.”

 

      With a pat to his back, Niall nods and sees him to the door as he struggles to wear his shoes, on the way.

 

      The walk to campus is torturously slow, his mind playing all kinds of scenarios of how his encounter with Gabe would go. However he’s got a _good morning_ text from Harry sitting in his inbox and that cheers him up significantly. He composes a reply and sends it just as he steps onto the campus grounds, the presence of students surrounding him.

 

 

      Gabe fortunately is not in class when Louis enters and also he is ecstatic that he made it on time to class. Not even Mr. Gallaway is in yet and only about one fourth of the class are seated – the really nerdy ones who always come five minutes earlier- pouring through a historic art fact book. _Harry would love it_ Louis thinks, the instant his eyes land on the ancient art printed in it.

 

      His phone dings with a text from Harry while he sits idly, flitting his eyes from the windows that display a beautiful landscape for a morning, to the students sitting a table away, their rustling movements distracting him.

 

      _Are you in class?x_ the text says and Louis types up a fast response.

 

      _Yup. Where are you?_

 

      It doesn't take long for Harry to reply. It's almost as if he's awaiting Louis' response.

 

      _At the flat. Making breakfast. Enjoying class?x_

 

      The _x_ ’s that Harry keeps adding at the end of all his texts are becoming endearingly soft now; it never ceases to make Louis smile.

 

      _I'm just early. Sort of nervous._

 

      _What's wrong??? :( x_

 

 _Oh you would know Styles._ He chuckles sarcastically after he sends it.

 

_Is it Gabe? :o x_

 

      _Why do you send emojis that describe the state of your feelings?_

 

_You love it :) Stop stalling.x_

 

      _God you're insufferable Styles. Yeah it is him. Who else?_

 

_I thought he was already in class but you'll be fine. You don't have to do anything. xx_

 

_Well, he's not. I know. I'll text you later okay._

 

_:/ Yeah sure. Have fun. Text me leytaaaahh xx_

 

      Louis laughs. Harry and his cute gibberish.

 

      Twenty minutes into mosaics and Gabe's not to even be seen and Louis' not bothered. Not at all. He keeps glancing at the door every few minutes and it's irritating him because he can neither focus on the lesson nor forget about the idiot. He should be on cloud nine that the guy isn't here but in fact it's actually stressing him the fuck out. He was looking to get this over with once and for all. Delaying a disastrous situation would only make it worse in the future; he learnt it the hard way.

 

      And if Gabe is absent - especially when Harry had told him that he was supposed to be in class already - would literally just put him off and might even ruin his chances with Harry. It aggravates him. He hopes the guy doesn't give him any more reason to hate him. He makes a note to inquire with Harry of how he manages to keep up his lessons when Gabe’s barely even interested in them. If he doesn’t even consider taking notes then how the fuck is that helping Harry in anyway? And to top it off the bastard is late.

 

      The funny thing is, sometimes when you hate something too much, the very thing you've been drilling in your mind makes its presence acknowledged. Louis could only gape when the door opens and shuts with a bang disrupting the focus of the entire class. Gabe though doesn't seem to give a rats ass. He walks to the only remaining seat - Harry's usual - drops the bag with a thump and leans back in his seat, a dark scowl coating his face.

 

      Mr. Gallaway fish mouths at him but Gabe's not even looking but then the professor shakes his head angrily and carries on with the lesson, the students eventually getting back to it themselves, one by one. Louis' clenching his fists under the table, not even hesitating to avoid glancing at the guy seated beside him. He couldn't care for whatever it is that Gabe's angry about. He's pissed too. Who even does that? Barging into a classroom as if they're some sort of important person.

 

-

 

      When they're assigned to their own tasks, Louis sneaks out his phone and checks for any messages and when they are none, he types one up himself.

 

      _I'm so angry right now._

 

      He lowers the volume so the ding from Harry's reply doesn't disrupt the class another time.

 

      _What's up Lou? Is he there?_

 

      _Yeah. He barged into the lesson like an arsehole._

 

      _I wouldn't doubt that. What's got your pants in a twist though?_

 

      _Cheeky._ He grins. _I have no idea myself._

 

      But then Harry sends pictures of cats and a fucking pun! That does it. That's all Louis would ever need to get back into a good mood. He's not even aware of what he's supposed to be doing. He's completely forgotten the devil in the room for a few short minutes until he feels the spread of warmth on his left thigh. It jerks him awake, turning around in his seat to face Gabe with fire in his eyes. "What do you want?" He hisses.

 

      He watches Gabe's adam apple bob as he swallows, his expression crumbling to one of guilt and is that desperation? "Can we talk?" He asks, digging his fingers into Louis' thigh when he tries to shove it off. "After class?"

 

      Clenching his jaw, Louis digs his own blunt nails into the skin of Gabe's forearm, "Take your fucking hand off me first."

 

      The boy continues to stare at him stubbornly, lips set tight in fierceness but then before Louis could think of ripping out the flesh from his skin, Gabe loosens his grip. With a grunt, he lets go and Louis' fingers slide off his skin that is now printed in red crescents. Gabe turns around to face his work, fingers toying with unevenly cut construction paper.

 

      "So can we talk after?" Gabe asks after a minute or two.

 

      "Yeah." Louis mutters, grumbling under his breath as he tries to get the tiny pieces of pink paper aligned. His fingers are bigger than them. How on earth does Mr. Gallaway expect him to finish this piece?

 

      The two of them trade no more conversation between them. Only Louis interacts with the rest of the table, making sarcastic comments and being his usual self. It's always best to forget the boulder by the road and instead swerve past it.

 

 

      His conversation with Gabe goes fairly easy. So much for expecting the worst. He had been hoping to simply sneak off and text Harry to see if he could come over but then Gabe would eventually go back to the flat and that would be one hell of an awkward situation. He didn't really have a choice when class ended and he slipped through the door because a hand was already pulling at this forearm, leading them both to a secluded area of the building.

 

      His heart was in his stomach at the time, afraid for his life because you never know what could happen with a guy like Gabe. He's not given him much to like about, more sort of a lot of reasons to despise and fear in very particular circumstances for instance a situation like dragging him away where there is barely a soul present. He could murder him and gosh what a story that would be. _Uni student Tomlinson murdered by unknown, suspected fellow student._ Niall would be on the hunt for the killer and Gabe would be on the run.

 

      Nevertheless he went along with the arsehole, a frown set in his face, hand gripping his bag just in case.

 

      "I'm sorry." Gabe had apologized with his head bowed as if he's ashamed of his actions but Louis knew better than to become putty at a pathetic excuse of the sort even if it came from a strikingly handsome guy. He had nothing to lose, there's another exact copy of Gabe and he’s much friendlier and the sweetest person Louis knows. He could still feel the rough kisses from Gabe, feeling disgusted to even think about it.

 

      Louis snorted and crossed his arms across his chest. "You'd have to do better than that but I really don't care so I can't really care much for your apologies either."

 

      "Lou." Gabe called out just as he's turning back to walk away and Louis whipped his head around so fast because that does it. That's the last straw! No one that has been deemed as a trivial enemy gets to call him by a term only presented to the ones close to his heart. Because that's such a fucking insult! An insult to himself and an insult to Harry in such a case.

 

      "Don't you dare fucking call me that!" Louis shouted, his muscles taut by the amount of strain he's putting on his clenched fists. His anger is spiking at a high rate, all the memories with Harry back at the park, seeping into the pores of his consciousness. "You actually want to pick a fight right now? Is that what you want? Is that what you're looking for?"

 

      Gabe looked startled by his outburst, taking a few safe steps backwards. Louis advanced on him, completely out of control with his raging emotions. "Just because you've been so careless with your life, so careless to the feelings of others doesn't mean you get to fucking play with mine."

 

      He'd looked so surprised at that statement, almost about to ask how he'd known it but Louis beat him to it. He'd always won at arguments. "You think I wouldn't know?" He taunted him with a sneer, almost feeling bad for the guy because he looked so helpless in that moment, "You left your own blood, you left them to pick up the bloody pieces and where were you when Harry needed you all along? Huh? Where were you when he needed you a few days back?"

 

      "I-"

 

      "Shut the fuck up!" He growled, raising a hand, "I don't want anything to do with you. Until you've grown a fucking pair of balls and go do what's right. And even then I wouldn't guarantee any sort of truce because the damage has been done."

 

      It's the ring of his cell phone that finally makes him stop, makes him give Gabe a break. He looks like he's about to faint, pale as a sheet and trembling. Louis' sure he's remembering all his sins from his past deeds. Well good for him if he does something right for once. Clicking the green button on the screen, he accepts the call and walks out of the hidden corridor, feeling the warmth of the sunlight hit him once again.

 

      "What's up H?" He asks into the phone, his anger completely deflating. It's in such quick succession that the simplest thing related to Harry, like a phone call could improve his mood.

 

      "You umm" Harry laughs as if he feels stupid for calling Louis, "You didn't reply to any of the texts I sent a while ago and well I was sort of worried."

 

      "Sort of?"

 

      "Well, alright." Harry groans but Louis can hear the grin bordering it, "I was totally worried."

 

      Louis smirks, his eyes darting towards a freshman couple, arguing and perhaps bitterly by the looks of their sourly scrunched faces. "And for no reason too. Are you in class?"

 

      "Shut up!" He hears Harry giggle from the other line, "No, I finished like ten minutes before yours and I'm bored."

 

      "And?"

 

      "Tell me something."

 

      He wants to recollect his time with Gabe, the untameable anger he had bore but something in him makes him hold back. The part of him that holds a heart or any mercy of the sort holds his tongue back. And it's not for himself. No, it's because of Harry. Because Harry doesn't deserve to feel the wreckage over and over again. It would be so cruel of Louis to even let himself slip up and upset the boy even the tiniest bit. He's not going to hide it forever, nothing ever works out that way but for now, a bit of serenity would be the perfect ingredient to keep themselves glowing.

 

      "Hmmm." Louis pretends to scratch his unshaved chin in thought, "We completed our half done mosaics today and oh Michelle pulled an April Fools on our drama professor yesterday."

 

      "What?!!" Harry squeals in glee, "What did she do?"

 

      He can't prevent the smile grazing his face at Harry's enthusiasm. It's like he's never experienced a prank before. "Well you remember how I told you that Mrs. Gray has this policy about interruptions from phone calls and that if we do receive one, it has to go on speaker mode?"

 

      "Yeah, yeah." Louis can imagine him nodding with a grin.

 

      "So Michelle's phone rang in the middle of our scripting and I guess all of us were like _dang it_." Louis elaborates, "Mrs. Gray looks towards her with a quirked brow and Michelle sighs. And she actually fucking answered the call."

 

      "Go on!" Harry's literally on his toes, "Go on will ya."

 

      "The female on the line goes 'Is this Ms. Wilkins?' and Michelle's like 'yeah' We're all paused, listening in on the conversation and Mrs. Gray looks so fucking smug as if she's literally given a student a punishment." He kicks a pebble in his path and can almost see his building in the distance. "And out of every possible called that could have phoned Michelle, the woman goes 'I'm Helen from the Pregnancy Resource Center.' You could hear the class gasp."

 

      Harry's quite for a moment but his only reply is a "But it's a baby Lou."

 

      Louis rolls his eyes but he has a smile, "This is not about a baby Harry, omg she was taking a call from the pregnancy centre on speaker and like we all thought she's fucked."

 

      "What happened then?"

 

      "Helen says 'Per your request, I am calling to inform you that the test results have come in positive, congratulations!'" Harry squeals like a fucking guinea pig and Louis has to pull his phone away from his ear. "Harry this is not real. Keep your cool."

 

      "Okay, okay I'm cool."

 

      "Mrs. Gray looked horrified. Oh god you should have seen her face and we were all waiting with bated breath. She tells Michelle that she might want to switch off the speaker mode."

 

      "What did Michelle do though?"

 

      "She didn't" Louis laughs, "The terror I felt because that's got to be really embarrassing especially because news of the sort should be in private. Helen reassured her that there was nothing to be worried about and that she knows the father isn't in the picture. I thought what an arsehole he is to actually just leave her alone with a kid." He digs into the back pocket of his bag in search for the flat key he had hurriedly shoved in. "Helen kept going on though, about going through the whole process and counselling and maternity and it made some of the guys feel uncomfortable. I'll never forget the looks on their faces. It's hysterical. I wanted to laugh so bad but at the same time felt sorry for the girl."

 

      "Lou?" Harry says.

 

      "Yeah?"

 

      "You're an arsehole."

 

      "I know!" Louis bursts out laughing, having expected a different reply from Harry but then he continues, "I'm sorry. Anyway Michelle ends the call acting all disturbed and panicked."

 

      "You lot are drama students, I wouldn't be surprised."

 

      Louis nods even though Harry can't see him, "Yeah, it comes in handy. Michelle ends the call and Mrs. Gray finally forms her wits to publicly apologize."

 

      "Oh boy."

 

      "Yeah I know. And Michelle goes 'I've been expecting this and I've already chosen names for the baby."

 

      "What? What are they?"

 

      "So this is the best part." Louis clears his throat, "She says 'The first name will be April and the middle name will be Fools."

 

      Harry's laughter flows out like honey from a newly dropped jar, deep and rumbling. "Oh my God! That's the funniest part of the entire thing!"

 

      Louis grins, the sound from the other end, melting in his ears like music, "I was stunned until I realized that Mrs. Gray was laughing so badly. Like I'd never seen her laugh so much. She couldn't stop giggling afterwards. I didn't even realize it was the first of April until that moment. Not one even one of the students in class knew about the prank. Usually they do stuff like this together. I hate to say it but I've got to give it to Michelle. She pulled an ace one."

 

      He's almost at his door, walking up the steps when the laughter dies down and Harry slows to a chuckle. Heaving from his laughs, he says, "We should’ve prank the boys too. It’s a shame we forgot and you specially. I can’t believe you didn’t fool any of us. You’re usually the one to play pranks."

 

      "I know but I had no plan in mind and I just didn’t feel like it." Louis slips the key into the lock.

 

      "Next year then." Harry snaps his fingers and Louis grins at the thought that there would be a next year for them. That Harry wouldn’t just vanish as if he was an illusion. "And Ginger pee’d on me. Can you believe this cat?"

 

      Louis snorts, guffawing open mouthed, "Want me to come over or something? To help wash your laundry? Though I won't make any promises."

 

      "Yes, and afterwards, ice cream? I've been craving for them."

 

      "Definitely some ice cream on a hot afternoon. I'll be there in five or more."

 

      They bid goodbye for the moment and Louis pockets his phone as he enters the flat, dropping his bag onto the sofa near him and greets Niall before turning around.

 

      "Where you going?" Niall shouts just as he's moving out, "You've barely even told me the details of your day. Where the fuck are you running away to?"

 

      "Walk, walk." He makes a finger moving motion.

 

      At that Niall makes painfully fake groaning sounds and runs his palm down his face. "Go go." He waves his hand when he sees Louis still idling by the door, "Your boyfriend is waiting for you."

 

      Louis flips him the bird and shuts the door behind him with a click. How nice it would be if Harry was actually his boyfriend.

 

 

 

      He makes it to Harry's building within exactly five minutes if you count the elevator trip too. It usually takes him longer because either a mate walking by stops for a chat or Niall is ringing him. He skips out of the elevator and walks to the door, rapping on the wood in quick rhythms of three.

 

      "Coooommiiing." Harry's voice sing songs from inside. They both grin upon seeing each other once the door is out of the way. "Nice to see you Lou."

 

      "Likewise." Louis' eyes crinkle and he extends a hand whilst bowing, "May I come in?"

 

      "You are the sassiest person I've known in my life." Harry leads him inside where Liam is sitting on the sofa and they wake at each other upon sight.

 

      Louis pretends to look shocked, placing a hand on his chest. "Why, I thought Gemma was."

 

      "You two would get along well." Harry laughs, "I know that for sure. Tea?"

 

      "Always tea my dear boy." Louis follows Harry into the kitchen instead of sitting beside Liam even though the boy gestures to him to sit by patting by his side and then rolls his eyes when Louis shakes his head and waggles his eyebrows. “So where’s Ginger?”

 

       "Being a wet blanket in her bed." Harry replies, placing the rusted kettle - if scrubbed would gleam bright silver - on the hob.

 

      "You abused the poor thing because she peed on you?" Louis fake gasps, "Not very nice curly. She's probably traumatized."

 

      "Well kids need to learn to be respectful.” Harry giggles.

 

      "Oh."

 

      "Yeah."

 

      "Well that’s lame.” It makes Harry chortle out a laugh, his hand almost letting a ceramic cup slip if not for Louis being on time to catch it, eyes crinkling like they always do when it comes to hearing the melodious sound of Harry's rumble. "I'm going to give the poor cat a visit. In the meantime try not to break any valuable china."

 

      Harry shakes his head in amusement as Louis steps away and walks into the hallway where Liam is deeply lost in a game of football.

 

      "She's just mad at me because I refused to give extra biscuits. If she eats too much, she's going to get sick." Harry calls from the kitchen.

 

      Pushing the door to Harry's bedroom open, Louis pokes his head in, seeing the orange tabby curled up in her coat, her tail swishing across the tiled floor. "That's just plain rude Hazza!" He calls back as he steps inside. "Giiiinger! Here kitty. Your favourite person is here."

 

      Ginger turns her head around at the sound of Louis' voice, makes a catlike snorting sound and turns back to facing the wall. Louis feels literally offended. "What? You're just going to ignore me now?" She doesn't even flinch but her ears keep moving. "What do you want? A biscuit?" At the sound of the word, she turns around, hops out of her cot and walks around him in circles, dragging her tail on his jeans.

 

      "Oh now you're coming to me?" He huffs, looking down at the fluffy ball of fur, "You traitor. Come on then." With a sigh he leaves the room, Ginger trailing right behind. Liam's got a funny look that can only speak of one word 'smug'.

 

      "She's typically you but 50% more." He says.

 

      Louis shuts his eyes, takes a deep breath and responds with a glare. "Not a word of this to Harry." Liam nods. Louis takes out the bottle of cat treats sitting in the very top drawer of the plastic cupboard, unscrews the lid and drops two into a bowl. "There! Now you better tuck away your sass or you're in time out."

 

      "She can never be tamed." Harry smiles, handing him his tea, which is hot and smells of rich tea leaves.

 

      “You’re the one who brought up Ginger.” Louis blows the steam rising from the cup and takes a small sip, “That means the responsibility of her actions are in your hands.”

 

      As he sinks into the comfort of the sofa, beside Liam, the boy scoots away to give him more space. “Why are the two of you bickering over a cat?”

 

      “Ginger has a new mother so…” Harry says, bringing his lips to the rim of his mug.

 

      “Who?”

 

      “I’m the daddy and Louis’ the mum.”

 

      Louis visibly swallows at the mention of the word; he can almost feel the tightening in his muscles. But he acts offended, “What?!!! I am not your wife! I’m the dad! I won’t be doing any cleaning shit.”

 

      “You’re the short one though.”

 

      “Have you seen my muscles curly? Huh? Have you? No!”

 

      “I have though.” Harry points out biting his lower lip.

 

      Their back and forth banter startles a laugh out of the buzz cut boy, jostling Louis that he nearly spills the tea on the blue cotton covering the sofa. He remembers the come stain near the bottom of the arm rest somewhere, stained from their sexual endeavour a few weeks back. It makes him long for it again when he thinks about it. The uncalled memories that float into his mind are relatively dangerous at this point. It’s really bloody not appropriate when Harry’s room and best mate is present.

 

      But he wonders if Harry would ever go back to that, if they would ever have a chance to do it again. Somewhere deep he knows that there is a mess of feelings like tumbleweed but he only keeps kicking them away each time they try to surface his mind or take over his heart.

 

      “I really don’t need to hear what you two have been up to.” Liam flushes.

 

      “Well you should know how it feels, especially when I have to go through hours of my best friend swooning about his other half who has these deep brown eyes that should belong to a puppy-“

 

      Liam turns up the volume of the television which drowns out the rest of Louis’ speech. “Perfect.” Liam mutters, flushed like a cherry.

 

      “He’s dead beat about Niall.” Harry cups a palm around Louis’ ear and whispers to which Louis nods, eyes never leaving Liam’s face. Liam kicks at Harry’s leg when he sees what they’re doing.

 

      After two cups of tea and a boring game of football – according to Harry – they put on their shoes and head out of the quarters, Louis having left behind his sparkly socks because apparently the weather’s too hot for his tiny feet.

 

      “Ice cream first?” Louis questions, patting around his pocket for his wallet.

 

      Harry nods in response before the skin between his eyebrows crease and he asks in a confused tone, “Why? What would be doing instead of ice cream and walking?”

 

      The shorter boy throws him a sly smile, picks Harry’s hand, slipping their palms together and swings their hands in motion to their walk.

 

      “First let’s get our ice creams, cool and sweet, just right for my wonderful plan. Wonderful as in you know, hydration.”

 

      “Lou, ice cream won’t keep you hydrated.”

 

      “Yes they do.” He makes a contorted face, “It’s mostly ice, something made with water too anyway. It has water.” He becomes frustrated because somehow he has trouble explaining the composition of an ice cream. “Just shut up already Haz.”

 

      At the pudding house they get strawberry and blue banana ice cream in cones. Harry’s one looks so blue and Louis’ sure he’s never seen ice cream that happens to be blue in colour. He did think about it and he is positive blue bananas don’t exist, it’s just Harry’s obsession with anything to do with bananas even if they are fake. Harry insists they exist though.

 

      “Now what?” Harry asks him as they step out of the brick building, dragging his tongue upwards at the line of ice cream dripping down his cone. “I’m developing an unbearable curiosity by the minute. Like Ginger.”

 

      “She can barely understand what time out is Haz.”

 

      “She’s a cat, what did you expect? Don’t insult my baby like that. She has my quirks. Curious little thing, snooping in every nook and cranny.”

 

      Louis face palms but doesn’t dare say anything else. He’s really looking forward to putting his idea into action. It’s been awhile since he’s been there.

 

      Between the University building and a business building no one cares about, is an abandoned brick house that very obviously had been a cheerful thing to its past occupants with a live green garden. But now its walls are dusted in grey like soot and there are hints of pinkish red peeking through and instead of smooth grass like a golf field, weeds inhabit the ground, sprouting from every possible hole they could find. Half the windows are broken either by rowdy kids, street urchins finding shelter or robbers. Who knows? It’s like one of those haunted houses you see in movies except that there’s a cheerful University full of students next door and that kind of dissolves the theory of frightening anyone.

 

      He tugs Harry along by the arm, half running, and half jogging towards the house.

 

      “This is sorta creeping me out.” Harry admits, one hand clutching tightly onto his ice cream in case it happens to fall off and the other formed in a fist, held by Louis.

 

      “I’m here, what more could you want to protect yourself with?” His shoes squelch in the muddy soil among the weeds and he cringes. Did it rain? It didn’t rain. He’d have known. He’s the one who predicts the weather in their flat. It could be the water collection from previous rainfall.

 

      “Errrm protection from you?” Harry says but it’s really not a question he’s asking, it simply came out as one what with his disbelief at entering a really fucking creepy old house. “What if you’ve actually been plotting my demise? Okay an axe would come in handy right now.”

 

      “I’d have killed you back at your flat.” Louis laughs, licking the ice cream which comes as a chunk onto his tongue, cooling the inside of his mouth and throat. “I kind of regret not bringing a picnic basket along with me though.”

 

      “Picnic?” Harry asks loudly in astonishment before lowering his voice as they slow to halt at the doorstep, “In this place? Are you crazy? What are we even doing here?”

 

      “Live a little hazza. You’re gonna love it.” Louis cocks his head to the side and purses his lips, “You with me?”

 

      Harry stares back at him, trying not to give in, licking the ice cream that’s started to melt while contemplating. Then he resigns with a sigh. “I am with you but I swear-“

 

      Louis cuts him off with a jump of glee and smacks a kiss on his cheek which well…leaves Harry startled by the porch. Louis goes around the side of the house and the next minute Harry hears the smatter of little tinkles all at once that very much sounds like glass shattering. What the fuck is Louis doing?!

 

      He peeps very cautiously by the side of the wall and finds Louis standing right in front of a window, one hand on his hip and the other holding a finished cone of ice cream that he eats in two crunchy bites. He joins the lad to find the window empty of glass. So that’s what the shattering was all about.

 

      “This is breaking and entering Lou.”

 

      “Oh hush! I’ve been here many a time.” He presses a finger to his lips as he says so.

 

      “Why not try the door then?”

 

      “It’s locked. Either by someone who was last here or a cop, let’s hope it’s the first. Didn’t you see me trying the knob?”

 

      Harry shakes his head whilst finishing his cone and wipes his hands on the back of his jeans, watching Louis jump, placing his right knee on the sill in the process. He waits with baited breath because there’s got to be jagged glass lining the wooden sill. But Louis proceeds to put his left foot on the sill and jump inside. Harry follows his lead and is soon standing in a dank room which smells of mould and mildew and the walls feel damp against his skin.

 

      “The key’s got to be somewhere here.” Louis mutters under his breath as the two of them move from the room to another that looks like a kitchen. The boy isn’t giving anything away but his eyes scour the walls and countertops. Then he pulls the drawers out, his fingers fumbling for ‘keys’.

 

      Harry catches sight of a hook right between the dirty tiled wall and the stove. He picks the set of keys hanging over it and dangles them in front of Louis eyes which light up at the sight of them.

 

      Louis snatches them off Harry’s hands and takes the two of them out of the back door. And to be really honest, Harry feels really glad to have gotten out of the house and feel the fresh air biting at his skin.

 

      Pointing at the fence that surrounds the back of the house all along the back of the University, Louis says, “These keys will let us past this shit thing.”

 

      “So much work to just get past that.” Harry grumbles, “Couldn’t we have climbed the fence? It’d be more adventurous.”

 

      “Unless you want to get electrocuted?” Louis quirks an eyebrow smugly, “Don’t worry there’s another fence to our destination. I have no keys for that thing. You better know how to climb what with your clumsy legs and all. You might attract deer.”

 

      “There are deer?” Harry’s voice carries such enthusiasm and Louis nods.

 

      “As far as I’ve seen there are at least two.”

 

      “I’d love to see a fawn.”

 

      “Then let’s hope.”

 

      Louis’ inserts a key into the lock of a steel padlock, silver and rusty brown patterns over its body. He can almost smell the metallic tang of the corroded steel and knows his hands are going to smell too. His nimble fingers fumble a little with turning the lock but he’s opened this damn thing at least twice in the past month. He pulls the shackle up with an eased drag, coated in clotted rust. Twisting his wrist he pulls off the padlock through the hasp and pushes the gate open.

 

      He gestures to Harry to go first and follows behind him, lightly shutting the fence behind them, hiding the padlock among the weeds and pocketing the key.

 

      “How long has this house been empty?” Harry asks as they make their way down an already trodden path down a slight slope.

 

      “Possibly a decade by the looks of it, I have no idea.”

 

      It doesn’t take them very long to come across a chain link fence. They glance at each other with a mischievous look upon their faces then without a warning they take a good few steps back and leap into a run. They jump and grab onto the fence, sticking their feet into the spaces and climbs up the high fence.

 

      Louis’ at a faster pace considering the fact that Harry’s struggling with his foot not staying in place which instead keeps sliding off. He gets into a half squat at the top, right foot on top of the bar and jumps down, landing on his feet.

 

      He really has no intention of running or anything because he can see the face of the lake between the trees and so he waits for Harry to make it to his side.

 

      Upon the sight of some flat, round rocks, he stoops to pick a handful of them and with the other he grabs a hold of Harry’s hand. He interlaces their fingers and the familiar sense of warmth feels the bottom of his belly.

 

      “You’ve been here before.” Harry states and Louis nods, “That’s why you showed it to me that day from the tower.”

 

      Louis shrugs. “I saw it from the tower too and I dunno got curious. You know me.” He laughs, “And I came here at least twice more afterwards. No one knows where I am. It’s sort of like my own place to think and just laze around that’s why I didn’t tell you I have access here before but you’ve become one of my best mates. Do you know how to skip rocks?”

 

      They stand on the shore of the lake, watching the water ebb on itself and blinking in the light of the sun. “Never mastered it.”

 

      “Well then I’m going to teach you.” Louis says, first flicking a rock to test his skill. It skips three times and sinks. “Let’s begin our lesson.” Harry takes a rock and Louis demonstrates how to hold one and the curly headed boy follows, his big hand curling around the rock making it look small compared to how it looked in Louis’ hand.

 

 

      Lying on their backs on the sand, they use their arms to shield their eyes from the sun as it begins to settle for the approaching end of day. Louis’ other hand is tucked under his head as a pillow but Harry’s removed his t-shirt and rolled it as his pillow but it does more harm to Louis than good. The pale skin contoured under the orange glow and scattered tattoos keep heightening his desire and his eyes won’t stop flitting towards the boy’s body. It’s frustrating him because he’s pretty sure he’s semi hard already.

 

      Harry turns towards him after a moment, lying on his side, arm propped under his head. “Thanks for bringing me here.” He says cracking a grateful smile, “It feels nice.”

 

      “It is.” Louis agrees drawing a deep breath because fuck Harry’s abs are making him feel tingly all over. “Although we didn’t see any deer.”

 

      “Yeah.” Harry agrees like he’s disappointed but there’s no hint of it. “Did you speak to Gabe?” He asks after a minute.

 

      Louis downright panics, his stomach clenching at the thought of having to tell Harry. He can feel the sweat on his skin even though the air is cool and there’s a heavy breeze blowing every now and then. “Yeah.” He sighs, looking away from Harry.

 

      “What happened?” Harry doesn’t sound the least bit worried, instead eager to hear the events.

 

      “I was sort of mad at him?”

 

      “You’re asking me?”

 

      “Okay.” He squeezes his eyes shut because this is it. “I was mad at him. I was outraged. He wanted to talk to me after class and was all sorry around me, trying to get me to forgive him.” He makes sure not to mention the part where Gabe nearly had his skin ripped out. “It made me so angry because he was just sorry. Why was he looking for my forgiveness?” Louis is dead on venting right now. “Had he not thought of it when it came to his family? When it came to you? He looked so selfish in that moment and I just burst. I yelled at him, told him that I wasn’t the one who needed to hear his petty words and to mend his mistakes. It just all seemed to come out before I could even think.”

 

      Breathing heavily after his outburst, he turns to see Harry staring at him; his lower lip caught between his teeth in concentration.

 

      It makes him fidget when Harry continues to be silent and the sun is casting a reddish orange glow around them, the sky beginning to darken. Louis clenches his teeth in worry and looks up absently. “I guess I just cared more for you.”

 

      “Do you mean that?” Harry asks then in a low voice.

 

      Jerking to look at him, Louis replies breathlessly. “Of course Haz.”

 

      Time ticks away, the sky closes in on itself, rolling a carpet of darkness around the world. The water swishes with the wind. Night creatures sound their voices from among their homes. And still, blue stares into green as if nothing else exists around them in that moment.

 

      Slowly, like a burglar on his toes, Harry’s hand slinks within the shadows and brushes against Louis’ cheek. Louis shudders at the cold touch but the fire lights within him, his legs tremble.

 

      Inching closer towards him, Harry’s breathe ghosts over his face. He can smell the faint banana flavour. He gulps, waiting for what happens next. Carefully but surely, Harry’s lips lightly touches his before they slot like a puzzle. It makes Louis moan and flutter his eyes shut.

 

      “Haz.” He breathes into him as they kiss languidly and loving in perfect sync. He can feel the hairs on his back raise from the shiver of the kiss. It feels nice, almost like this is what he had lost and now found.

 

      When they pull apart, Harry doesn’t move away, he edges his body closer to Louis and smiles at him. His hand moves from where they were at Louis’ neck to his cheek. Louis feels Harry stroking his cheek with a thumb, fondly, in sweet circles.

 

      Louis inches his face nearer to Harry so their noses touch which makes them giggle. Harry’s eyes are full of light even in the darkness. Louis’ hand moves to situate itself on Harry’s side, grazing his pelvis. “I think I like you.” He whispers. They’re simple but powerful words between them. Words that only the air and the setting sun, the rising moon and plants and creatures of the wild would hear. Words that are from the heart.

 

      But it makes Harry giggle and conceal his face in Louis’ neck. The sound vibrates within Louis’ chest and he thinks it might even endear the earth. “I like you too Lou.” Harry whispers back, into his skin and Louis tightens his hold around Harry as if he’s afraid someone would take the boy away from him.

 

      In their hearts, it means more than that though. What they feel for each other is no ordinary love.

 

-

 

      Late! Out of everything that could have happened at work, he’s late to go home but he doesn’t think too much of it because the boys will either be already watching a movie or show some mercy and be waiting for his sorry arse.

 

      Pulling off the grey beanie from his head and ruffling his hair, he inserts the key into the lock and opens the door. He hears noises that are so very familiar but never occasionally and so he shuts the door and slides off his shoes.

 

      “Honey I’m home!” He shouts while hanging his coat on the cheap second hand coat stand and Harry’s already making his way towards him as he turns around.

 

      “You’re late.” Is the first thing Harry says.

 

      “This,” Louis begins cocking his head to the side, “is how you greet me?”

 

      He makes a happy little unnameable sound and flings himself on Louis. Louis’ shoulders shake as he lets out a short laugh, overjoyed at being in the presence of the boy who makes his heart beat faster, again.

 

      Harry kisses his cheek, smiles at him with soft wide eyes and pulls him by the hand to the kitchen where the other three boys are seated around a table, having dinner.

 

      “Oh I see.” Louis shakes his head disapprovingly at the three heads looking up at him, “Peasants! Greedy peasants! I can’t believe you hadn’t the decency to wait for me.” With a huff he turns and piles a plate with takeout set on the counter. Harry helps him, pushing him to the side with a gentle nudge and bumps his toes with Louis’.

 

      “You were late.” Niall explains as if that would make Louis feel any better not that he’s feeling bad but he loves a bit of drama.

 

      “I’ve been told that once before.”

 

      “But Harry waited for you so that should count for something.”

 

      Louis wants to duck tape Niall’s mouth and give him a lesson on not speaking while eating but that Irishman will never learn because he was born that way. But then Harry waited for him and that makes his heart warm and he thinks he’ll combust any moment. Harry’s like a happy gnome who never runs out of smiles. He’s always jovial in one way or another, bumping bodies or stroking skin or snuggling or being fascinated by ordinary things. He’s never seen a guy like him but he’s seen kids and so Harry goes under the classified category called ‘Kids’

 

      When he looks at him, Harry’s got his head ducked but Louis can spot the blush on his cheeks and his shy smile. Despite the others watching him, he tucks himself to Harry’s side and very subtly presses his lips to his shoulder. “Thank you.” He whispers, “You’re too sweet.”

 

      “Shut up Lou.” Harry says, still smiling, “It was nothing.”

 

      “We are eating here guys.” Liam groans and the other two chorus something similar which makes Harry laugh.

     

      After dinner, they are all settled down on the sofas watching How to train your dragon because they’re all a bunch of kids. Niall’s got a packet of crisps even though he’s eaten belly full and is snuggled between Liam and Zayn, all nestled into each other like birds sheltering themselves from the cold.

 

      Louis is seated with his legs tucked underneath him and Harry’s legs on his lap. His fingers won’t stop playing with the hem of Harry’s sweatpants and Niall keeps giving him odd glances when he’s not occupied with being lovey dovey with Liam, either smiling at him or kissing his neck. Louis keeps internally groaning when he catches the two which is like every five minutes or so. They’re barely even watching the fucking movie.

 

      His fingers finally rest on Harry’s ankles, rubbing circles on the bone which makes Harry jerk his foot once or twice. “I want to be a dragon.” Harry voices very quietly either unconsciously or to Louis because every else in the room is busy. Zayn’s already half asleep, his head nodding off to the side before he jerks awake. Louis feels really sorry for the boy, he looks like a cute puppy and he wants to tell him to go sleep in his room or something instead of breaking rest. “A dragon like Toothless.”

 

      Sighing in fondness, Louis slowly moves to lie on top of Harry. Harry looks at him and smiles, wrapping his arms around his torso. “Hi.” He says.

 

      “Hi.” Louis mutters back because this is ridiculous. When did he become so cheesy? “I much prefer you as human than a dragon, though a dragon has the added advantage of taking me on a flying lesson.”

 

      “I could be like a shape shifter.” Harry replies in thought, “Then I can be both human and a dragon.”

 

      Louis lets out a breath through his nose that sounds like constrained laughter and bops Harry’s nose with a finger. “That’d be nice.”

 

      “Hmmmm.”

 

      The boy gets back to watching the movie when it draws his attention with a loud noise. Louis lays his head on Harry’s chest, feeling it rise underneath him with each breath. He can hear his heart beating, a soft _lub dub lub dub_. He sighs and closes his eyes. It feels so pacifying to feel Harry surround him physically, mentally and aurally. Being wrapped up in a lot of blankets on bed with a warm cup of tea and delicious smelling breakfast on the table on a really cold winter’s day is what it truly feels like.

 

      It feels like the relief that courses through him when he manages to heal his tummy ache and seeing his family after a long time and acing his classes and ice cream on a hot day. Harry feels like everything, hope and warmth, joy and enchantment. Its love isn’t it? Because love is bloody indescribable, you can only feel it and he’s pretty sure he can feel it because whenever he’s with Harry it feels like that’s where he belongs, that’s where he can breathe after a long day.

 

      And gosh to think that he might be in love is overwhelming but he’s not ready to say it yet or think much more of it. He doesn’t know how long he and Harry will see each other, they aren’t even dating for fucks sake and then there’s Gabe and unresolved issues that Harry’s still hurting from. Sometimes it’s a little too hard to be with broken people because sometimes they can’t concentrate on too many things and he doesn’t want to be forgotten. He doesn’t know if Harry is as deeply lost within his troubles as he thinks he is although all he ever sees of Harry are maniac smiles.

 

       He feels smooth skin against his, pushing his hair away and he melts into the touch. It sends comfortable shivers down his back. “Lou.” Harry is so gently trying to wake him as if he thinks he’s asleep.

 

      “I’m not asleep Haz.” Louis mumbles, grabbing onto Harry’s fingers and not letting go. Harry entwines them instead and bends to press a kiss onto Louis’ forehead.

 

      “I need to ask you something.”

 

      “What is it?”

 

      Opening his eyes because Harry takes alittle too long to answer and it worries him – he worries about everything to do with Harry – he finds the lad aggressively biting his lip. “Hey.” He says in a disapproving tone, letting go of Harry’s hand to tap at his reddening lip, “Don’t do that. What is it H?”

 

      “Will you…” He starts after taking in a deep gulp of air, “Will you go out with me? Like a date? I mean you don’t have to if you don’t want to but like we kissed yesterday and we like each other and I thought perhaps-“

 

      “Shut up.” Louis giggles then he reaches up, jostling them both to peck Harry’s lips, “I’d love to go out with you.”             

 

      Harry gapes at him, eyes broadening.

 

      “What? Were you expecting me to say no?” Louis pinches his forearm over the hoody, “So when is this date of ours? Have you planned it?”

 

      “No, not yet.” Harry’s voice is on the edge of getting loud probably from his joy but it doesn’t disturb the now sleeping Zayn and sleepy lovers. “I’ll text you when it’s set.”

 

      Louis yawns and slips his legs underneath Harry’s for warmth. “Sounds good.”

 

      “You’re sleepy.”

 

      “Of course I am Haz.” Louis yawns again, bringing up a hand to rub at his eye, “Shall we wake up the others? Zayn’s going to wake up with a bad back in the morning if he continues sleeping like that and those lovebirds are going to crush him.”

 

      “You’re mean.” Harry chuckles, “But yeah very logical. Let’s call it a night.”

 

      Harry’s the one who actually gets up and shakes the three boys awake while Louis lies comfortably on the sofa, hand folded across his chest, watching. Liam and Niall retreat to Niall’s bedroom and Zayn opts to go back to his flat no matter how much they ask him to stay over.

 

      The two of them choose to go back to sleep on the sofa because according to Louis “My room’s right next to Niall’s and I’ve heard too much to even think of going there when God knows what they could be doing next door.”

 

      Sleep does come but this time in the form of reassuring dreams in bright colour and strong arms locked in place.

 

-

 

      It’s cold! It’s really fucking cold and he can’t feel the supposed warm body beside him. Groaning he opens his eyes to find out that he’s the only one on the couch, sprawled like an octopus. But the appetizing whiff of ham that drifts over to him is enough to get him sluggishly off the couch and walk over to the kitchen. He slips a hand under his purple woollen jumper to scratch at his belly, yawning.

 

      “Ham?” He asks when he sees Harry standing by the stove in the same clothes he had slept in the night before, a frying ladle in hand.

 

      “Harry glances at him when he hears his voice and an unconscious smile flitters across his face. “Morning Lou!” He greets him, Louis making his way over to the boy, stifling yet another yawn.”It’s ham, poached eggs, cheese and spinach.”

 

      “We’re going to have bad stomach aches.”

 

      “No, we’re not.” Harry pouts, putting a hand on his waist to add to the effect, “It’s a healthy breakfast.”

 

      “Coming from the boy who brought a packed lunch to Uni.” Louis teases.

 

      “Loooouuu!” Harry whines but then the eggs call for his attention and Louis goes to the toilet to brush his teeth, take care of his business and splash some water to get the colour back on his face before he perches himself on the counter, feet dangling, to watch.

 

      None of the others are awake and Zayn’s probably still asleep or he’d be here for breakfast already. It’s the one thing he never misses when Harry’s over. He watches Harry turn off the stove and take the steel pot down to place it on a mat. Harry takes off the dark green mittens covered in clovers – that was Niall’s choice - and he turns towards him. Louis blushes because he looks like shit with his hair tousled and rumpled clothes.

 

      But Harry moves to place his hands around Louis’ small waist, fingers slipping under the jumper and leaning in. “You look cute.” He says, pressing his lips to Louis’ in a chaste kiss but Louis doesn’t let him go. Closing his eyes and wrapping a hand around Harry’s neck he kisses back.

 

      Harry rubs their noses together and slides down to press kisses on Louis’ belly, pushing the jumper up to his armpits in the process. Giggling at the tickling sensation on his stomach, Louis brings down his jumper over Harry and slips his head in too. The act shocks Harry that he ends up laughing, clutching onto Louis. They look into each other’s eyes, foreheads touching inside the jumper. “You are such an idiot.”

 

      “I am.” Louis agrees, licking a stripe over Harry’s nose, “But I’m your idiot.”

 

      Taking hold of Louis’ chin with just his thumb and pointer, he brushes their lips from side to side. They’re in hysterics until the sound of someone clearing their throat has them abruptly emerging from the sweater, red in the face and fumbling to act as if nothing had taken place. And it’s just Liam come for a glass of water, Niall right behind him, giving Louis a _‘we need to talk”_ look.

 

      Harry starts dishing breakfast onto plates while Liam and Niall take turns in the bathroom. When the doorbell dings, Louis shuffles off to meet Zayn. “So you and Harry.” Zayn states, toeing off his shoes by the shoe rack.

 

      “Good morning to you too Zayn, it’s a lovely morning I know.”

 

      “I didn’t mean to-“

 

      “I know. Come on.” Louis pulls him by the arm, “Harry’s made brekkie and for your information, yes Harry and I are dating.”

 

      “Congratz Lou. Does Niall know?”

 

      “Thanks. No he doesn’t but he’s given me the devil eyes so far.

 

 

      After breakfast, the three boys leave, Louis bidding Harry goodbye with a kiss in front of everyone and telling him to be safe while shopping for groceries.

 

      Niall drags him away for a talk that inquires of his and Harry’s relationship status. Louis tells him everything including how much Gabe had pissed him off.

 

      “So you two are officially dating now?” Niall inquires.

 

      “Stop with all the pointy fingers at me.” Louis throws a cushion at the boy, “Yes we are.”

 

      “Hmmm, good.” Niall scratches his chin, “I’ll have to write a full essay regarding my _don’t hurt my best friend_ talk.”

 

      Louis gawks, “You will not do such a thing. He might run away.”

 

      “Harry’s not the type to do that.” Niall smiles, dropping flat on Louis and nuzzling his neck as Louis tries to push him off, “I’m happy for you.”

 

      “Hmm yeah. Get off you pig.”

 

      “Oh and I know about you and Liam.”

 

      His eyes go wide. “What are you talking about?” He makes a short strained laugh like a cough actually.

 

      “Liam told me about it Lou.” Niall shakes his head but he’s smiling so it should be all good, “Don’t play dumb and I’m not mad. You didn’t know so…yeah.”

 

      “Good.” Louis wiggles his toes in front of Niall’s face, “You’re my best buddy.”

 

 

      Halfway through the day, he gets a text from Harry, stating the details of their date which sends him off into a string of panics to find the perfect outfit.

 

_

 

      He waits outside the building at around four in the afternoon for Harry to arrive in a rented car. Niall’s waiting with him, leaning against a pillar and they can clearly see the sleek silver Audi driving towards their flats.

 

      Louis thwacks Niall’s head as a good bye and hurries to meet Harry who honks the horn and laughs. “Don’t get your arses into trouble!” Niall shouts as Louis takes his seat on the passenger side. He waves his hand and pulls his tongue out at Niall in reply. Harry’s decked in newly washed black jeans – if the smell of flowery detergent is anything as much of a hint – and a loose blue v neck long sleeve, his hair in loose curls and compared to him, Louis feels so fucking underdressed.”

 

      “You told me I didn’t need to over think my outfit.” He says as they pull out of the drive. He glances down at his cotton plaid over the tank top and jeans.

 

      “You haven’t.” Harry nods, looking through the rear-view mirror, “What’s wrong?”

 

      “Clearly, you look like you’re headed for a gala.”

 

      Harry laughs, “Oh I’d wear a tux or something extravagant for an event like that.”

 

      “You’re telling me this is how you classify as casual?”

 

      “You know me.”

     

 

 

      Harry takes the shortest routes and Louis is speechless when they park at a Riding Centre.

 

      “Horses.” That’s as much as he can utter, open mouthed and gaping.

 

      Harry though, looks completely exultant at Louis’ reaction. “I am so glad that you already love it.” He says, “Come on.” He pays for them both and interlocks their hands as they make their way in, to join a group who had already arrived.

 

      “This is amazing Haz.” Louis compliments absently, looking all around him, entranced by literally everything in his way. He squeezes their hands to convey how he feels because words just don’t seem to make their way through his mouth but Harry gets it. Harry’s always been able to understand him and he squeezes back just as hard.

 

      They have a short formal greeting when the owners meet them and a round out greeting spree with the rest of the group and they’re off to learn how to tack up a horse. They’re asked to choose a horse of their liking and Louis goes with a mud brown one named Jackie and Harry chooses a black female named Starlight. “I used to work at a farm as a kid.” Harry says a grin on his face.

 

      “I have no doubts curly.” He says in a teasing tone.

 

      Starlight takes an instant liking to Harry when he offers her some sugar cubes they’ve been given and proceeds to make cooing noises at her while he works at letting her sniff his hand so he can scratch at her neck.

 

      It takes Louis awhile to gain Jamie’s trust but eventually he gives Louis a nicker and rubs his muzzle against his outstretched palm. Louis holds out a couple of sugar cubes for Jamie before their attention is called for a lesson on tacking up.

 

      Louis uses a horse brush to brush Jamie’s body along with Harry’s aid because yes, his attention span is to that of a goldfish. He puts on the saddle blanket, muttering sweet reassurances to Jamie since he’s scared as fuck at the thought of getting kicked and then places the saddle on top of the blanket, sliding it down a good few inches.

 

      Harry breezes through tacking up Starlight, dusting his hands in exaggeration and walks over to Louis with his helmet on, Starlight in tow. “How’s it going?”

 

      “As lovely as you’d imagine.” He huffs as he tightens the girth, slipping his fingers in between to make sure it’s not too tight as instructed. Harry fetches Jamie’s boots and a helmet for Louis who takes them with a smile of thanks. He’s enjoying this really; it’s going to be good exercise.

 

      Louis learns to put the boots on Jamie’s legs and then puts on his helmet so he can start on the bridle which Harry helps him with. Starlight snorts beside them, barely even leaving Harry’s side. It’s like the two of them have bonded over tea. They wait until the rest of the group have gotten their horses secured to head outside the stable.

 

      Since Louis is short, Harry stands next to him in case he requires help mounting Jamie. But Louis’ indignant like he’s always been and somehow manages to get on Jamie, thanks to the fellow being obedient enough not to throw off Louis and run away.

 

      They’re led around the stable grounds as a warm up before the group begins their trek across an open field and through a forest. It’s the feeling of the wind blowing against him and not walking but actually riding a horse, a living creature that could understand him that fascinates him so much. Louis feels free and it comes to his attention that the owners are aware that he and Harry are on a date so they’re allowed to stray a short distance away from the group for themselves since Harry’s ancient horse expertise does count to some degree. He just loves it so much that he can’t stop smiling and petting Jamie. He is absolutely eager to harass Niall with the details of their date.

 

      There are mountains and hills and a lot of tress but it’s all nature, so green and lovely with the afternoon sun casting over everything. It’s so beautiful and makes him appreciate the world around him more. Heidi is what he thinks of as they move down a slope, the farm and the pastures. Just damn, he’s missed so much hidden within the folds of nature and he barely even thought of such things before Harry wandered into his life.

 

      “How do you feel?” Harry asks, treating Starlight to more sugar cubes from his pouch.

 

      “Ecstatic.” Louis replies throwing his left hand in the air before clutching onto the rein again, “If I could kiss you right now, I would.” Jamie and Starlight makes a soft neigh and swish their tails as if in agreement. “Even they agree with me Styles.”

 

      Harry beams radiant and simply glowing in the embers of joy. Louis wants to mush his face in Harry’s chest and just lay there. He actually feels that good and happy. In fact he can’t remember a time when he has smiled so much. Harry is twisting his life into a fairytale.

 

      They pick up a trot a good half hour into the forest where they stop for a snack and to let the horses have a drink from the bubbling brook. Starlight nuzzles her nose into Harry’s neck before she moves away to have a drink.

 

      “I’m jealous here Harold.” Louis pouts, leaning into Harry’s side, “I think Starlight has a crush on you.”

 

      Harry gives him a very serious look, slipping an arm around Louis’ waist but then he can’t seem to hold it in and bursts out laughing, his dimples portraying their prominence while he tries stifling the sound with a fist. No one else notices much since they’re in their own conversations and Louis is in his own world with Harry. Louis is so pleased with the events of the day and the boy beside him that he reaches up on his toes and kisses Harry.

 

      Everyone decides to head back after ten minutes, some on their horses, some walking beside their horses. Harry and Louis walk alongside theirs, leading them with one hand, so the two of them can walk side by side, fingers interlocked and swinging between them.

 

      Before they leave, Louis makes sure to take photos with Starlight, Jamie and Harry, mentally noting where those pictures will end up being put into. They make funny faces into the lens, Louis going crossed eyed and Harry blowing out his cheeks, the horses’ heads in between, nostrils flared.

 

 

 

      They have dinner at an average restaurant where they would look neither shabby nor overdressed. They sink into some homemade bread till the waiter brings their main course consisting of butternut squash, chickpea and date tagine topped with toasted almonds and served with basmati rice including wine.

 

       Harry has a hand on the table, absently playing with a napkin and smiling to himself, Louis covers Harry’s hand with his own which brings the boy’s attention over to him.

 

       “Hi” He simpers, placing his free hand on top of Louis’ and then Louis proceeds to place his other hand on top of Harry’s so it’s like a fort of hands on top of each other.

 

      “Hi to you too curly.” Louis grins. He brings up both of Harry’s hands to his lips and presses a kiss to the back of each. They look so dopey, staring into each other’s eyes that descend into oblivion, clutching onto their hands over the stable. “This is so nice. It’s amazing. I can’t stop being in awe of everything that’s happened today.”

 

      “We have not finished dinner yet.” Harry replies very happily, fireworks on the brim of bursting out of him.

 

      “Oh no!” Louis pretends to groan, dropping his head onto the table on top of their hands. “My heart will explode before the night is over.”

 

      Harry extracts his hand and cards his fingers through Louis’ soft hair, arranging the pieces of fallen strands so that they at least stick somewhat into his quiff. “What if it explodes into rainbows and pretty stuff?”

 

      “Like that painting of yours?” Louis raises his head to peer at him, reminiscing the memory of them back at art class, trying to fill their canvases with some sort of oddity.

 

      “Better than that.” Harry grins as the waiter makes his way over with a tired smile at the two of them before placing their dishes on the table and a bottle of smart wine.

 

      They eagerly dig in, spoons clinking against ceramic and passionately moaning at the taste of the exemplary dish. “This is really good.” Harry declares, pointing at his mixed rice with a fork, the ring on his left middle finger glinting against the light.

 

      Louis hums, a nod of agreement, working around his mouthful to get a few words out. “I like the chickpeas.”

 

     

      It’s after their meal and three glasses of wine that Louis hurries to the bathroom for a quick wee, also managing to reply to Niall’s texts inquiring as to where he is.

 

      When he returns the waiter is just approaching their table with two plates balanced on his hands. He offers to help but the guy merely shakes his head no and flashes him a smile.

 

      Clearing his throat, Louis takes his seat opposite Harry, pouring another glass of wine for himself as the waiter sets their deserts. He takes a sip of his wine and is on the verge of picking up a utensil when he notices Harry watching him. Louis smirks at him, shaking his head in amusement and picks a spoon but he stops right there!

 

      Like in slow motion, his fingers clutch that piece of metal in a tight hold inches above the plate, stomach fluttering and gulping. It’s a chocolate – strawberry crumble ball, perfect for a date but what makes him almost tear up and want to laugh in delight are the words beautifully drawn on the rim of the dish in chocolate.

 

      _Will you be my boyfriend?_

 

      Louis is completely and utterly speechless, clutching a fucking spoon like a maniac. It’s insane. It’s definitely bloody insane that Harry never ceases to surprise him every moment. He knows Harry’s waiting for an answer of some sort but he’s still suspended in time, trying to breathe in this moment, etching this very sweet memory into his mind where it will live for times to come. He’s feeling so much, so fucking much that his body is torn between which course of action it’s supposed to take.

 

      “Lou?”

 

      “Haz.” And fuck is he crying? Bloody shit he’s actually feeling the tears in the brim of his eyes, ready to fall any moment. Is he this mesmerized?

 

      “I just…” He slumps against his seat, throwing his head back and staring at the plain boring ceiling unlike Harry, a goofy grin set upon his lips. “Yes Haz! Of course I’d love to be your boyfriend. This is such a sweet gesture. You’re a sap, an adorable sap and you’ve made my heart beat so much faster within the span of five hours and that’s saying something.”

 

      Harry giggles like a fucking school girl, hiding his face behind his hands and ducking his head. His dimples pop out and his curls are askew and Louis doesn’t know what to fucking do with himself. So he moves out of his seat and sits beside Harry, pulling his hands away to look at the angel. “You’re an amazing boyfriend.” He smashes their lips together in haste so badly wanting to convey how he feels because words just aren’t enough. Words are never going to show how much he feels for this boy and everything he’s done to charm the pants out of him.

 

      When they pull away, Louis is still clutching onto Harry’s wrists and the boy rubs their noses together in an Eskimo kiss. “Shall we?” Harry sweeps a hand over their desserts and Louis nods.

 

      He of course doesn’t fail to capture the words on the dish, tucking the device into his pocket as soon as he is done. They feed each other the first bites of their crumble balls when they’re brought a small bowl of fresh strawberries. Harry manages to knock his spoon across his cheek considering his tact for clumsy mishaps. The boy crosses his eyes to locate the position of his accident but Louis interrupts him by pushing away the napkin and titling Harry’s head to lick at the cream, a clean, wet stripe across Harry’s pale cheek.

 

      “There.” He says sitting back to which Harry responds with a peck to his temple. This is just him and Harry and a day to dedicate to it and in months to come and even years, they will hopefully be celebrating this special day. The thought makes him feel giddy.

 

 

 

      Harry drops him outside the building and offers to walk him to his flat but Louis declines, saying that the boy needed to rest, especially since he has classes the very next day. Yet he doesn’t hesitate to push Harry against the side of the car and kiss him fiercely, sliding his hands under his shirt and tweaking his nipples. The taller boy responds with a suppressed moan that goes straight to Louis’ groin but they are unable to do anything out here of course and it’ll have to wait till tomorrow but for now, Louis is satisfied with kissing the boy. He moves his lips down the line of Harry’s neck, the boy angling his neck towards Louis where he sucks and bruises the skin till the colour of red indicates the love bite.

 

      “Good night babe.” Louis smiles lovingly and pats his cheek gently, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

 

      “Night Lou.” Harry grins, Louis taking note of the crows’ feet emerging at the corners of Harry’s jade eyes. “Sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite.”

 

      “I won’t.” Louis chuckles, “I’ll call you if any of them try to get me.”

 

      “Will do.”

 

      Louis watches Harry get into the car and drive away, his hand out the window, waving as he leaves. Louis waves back, sighing in content and heads up the stairs to the flat where he knows a blonde awaits answers.

 

-

 

      Niall drags the four of them to his favourite pub in town and calls it a double date even though Zayn has no date. Louis snorts and says that Niall needs to buy them a free round of drinks since Harry and he had gotten together a day prior.

 

      “You didn’t do that when Liam and I got together.” Niall argues.

 

      “Ah.” Louis wraps an arm around Niall’s shoulder, a hand around Harry’s waist, smug and glowing, “But you never informed us of your little heart to heart boyfriend crusade.”

 

      “Fuck you!”

 

      Louis cackles as Niall moves away with a glare to order a round of drinks for all five of them. Liam is gazing at Niall with love struck eyes and Louis can almost imagine the cartoonic hearts bouncing within the dimensions of those puppy eyes. He wants to make fun of Liam, wiggle his eyebrows or something but then the thumb stroking the vein on the side of his neck fucking distracts him. With a shudder he turns to face curly locks. Louis makes a dumb face at him as he downs his shot of vodka.

 

 

 

      Walking into the loo, he heads for the nearest stall to take care of his business before approaching the sinks to rinse his hands.

 

      “Hey Haz.” He addresses the boy when he sees him staring at the mirror. Louis keens into his touch, leaning against his broad chest as the boy moves his hands down to his waist but just as he does so; he abruptly jumps to his feet and backs off. “Woah, when did you get a change of clothes?”

 

      He opens his mouth to speak but Louis raises a finger in silence. He squints and his jaw clenches. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

 

      “I was here the entire time.”

 

      “Okay.” Louis dries his hands with some paper towels, discards them and moves towards the door without another word or glance because _no_ he won’t be playing around. A hand stops him. “What do you want?” He grits his teeth in annoyance.

 

      “To speak to you.”

 

      “You mean you followed me all the way here just to speak to me?” Gabe nods and Louis has the sudden urge to rip his head apart. This is neither the time nor day for conversing with an arse but he endures it because he has no reason other than his boyfriend, to hurt the twin. “Go on. Say whatever the fuck you need to say so I can leave.”

 

      “The day at the tower—“

 

      “There is nothing that happened that day that requires a mention today.” Louis replies, crossing his arms over his chest.

 

      “Fine.” Gabe grunts angrily, “Can we start over then? I’m sure we got on the wrong terms.”

 

      He scoffs, “It’s not me you got on the wrong terms with mate.”                       

 

      “Will you fucking shut up for a moment!” Gabe’s arms fly in the air as he speaks, a stormy expression beginning to cloud over his eyes. “I’m trying to fix this!”

 

      “Fix this?!!! What are you even on about? Did you think that by starting over, you were going to be able to be happy go lucky lads with me?” Louis snaps, lips curling in fury, “I wouldn’t have found anything nice about you to even spend time with you. Now if you don’t mind, I have a boyfriend to get back to.” He makes to move but Gabe grabs onto his arm firmly and the moment when Gabe had gripped his thigh in class flashes through Louis’ mind.

 

      “Boyfriend?” Gabe looks so confused that it makes Louis feel so fucking good, for once being able to hopefully hurt the bastard without actually doing anything physical.

 

      “Yes, boyfriend.” Louis smirks, wrenching from his hold. “Harry Styles is my boyfriend. Ring any bells?”Gabe’s discomfort is feeding his ego.

 

      Gabe looks horrified. “You mean you’re dating that—“

 

      “Don’t you fucking dare!” Louis growls advancing on the guy, “Don’t you even dare say something horrid about him. You’ve done enough as it is.”

 

      “Okay okay” Gabe grunts, backing away with his hands outstretched, “But what does he even posses that makes you like him? He’s all...” He makes a very vague motion with his finger to all of himself and makes an odd face. Louis isn’t stupid and Gabe’s getting on every nerve of his.

 

      The door opens though. It opens with a creak and Gabe and Louis stand frozen in each other’s spaces, heads turned towards the intrusion. Harry with a coy smile and frizzed hair steps through and he fucking freezes! His smile drops, his eyes flit from one to the other and his whole demeanour crumbles like pastry.

 

      And Louis’ just dumbfounded. It’s not that he had done anything wrong, it’s that he’s been surprised that his brain takes time to process the situation and the whole scene looks as if he’s done something unforgivable.

 

      By the time Louis shakes out of his shit trance and moves to go after the boy who’s retreating from the toilet, Gabe’s blocking his way. Ripped between going after his lover and pent up passionate wrath at the one person he had hoped to stay away from, he unleashes his beasts.

 

      “Do you have any fucking idea how much shit you’ve tossed around the people who love you?!!!” He yells, standing on his toes and looking right into Gabe’s face, wanting him to feel remorse because even hope can’t impede his anger, “Don’t you have even a shred of dignity within you to perhaps reconcile and fix the worlds you’ve torn? How fucked up can you get? How many lives are you going to tear? You’ve just obstructed me from going after my boyfriend!” He takes a deep breath. “You can’t mend what was broken after running after a boy you’ve apparently fallen for when your own flesh and blood bled for you. I’m sorry it does not work that way. I will punch you so hard that you’ll lose some teeth, I guarantee you. I mean it! Leave me the fuck alone.”

 

      Pushing back onto his feet, he whips around and dashes out of the toilet. “Fucking rebuild what you destroyed while you can.” The last words he’d ever say to Gabe, he hopes.

 

      He seeks for his jade eyed lover among the throng of sweaty bodies and thrum of music, heart palpitating against his ribcage, worried and anxious, even afraid.

 

      Cold, distant, sad. He sits upon a stool by the bar, downing shot after shot, hair bouncing each time he throws his head back as if he’s drinking to die. Louis shudders as the thought crosses his mind. He forces his feet to walk over to the bar and plop onto the stool beside his boy. Harry doesn’t even spare him a glance, instead ordering more shots.

 

      When the bartender sets the drinks in front of them, Louis puts a hand to obstruct Harry’s hand from reaching them. Harry scowls at him and looks away. “Haz babe.” Louis tries in a soothing tone, “It’s not what you’re thinking. Nothing happened. I was mad at him.”

 

      “That’s what you always say don’t you!” Harry snaps, “I can’t believe y—“

 

      “Stop right there!” Louis cuts him off, standing, a fire igniting within him, “The fact that you even think that something had happened between your brother and I. The fact that you don’t trust me when I tell you the truth! What does that tell you Haz? Huh? Honesty is the cornerstone of our relationship. I thought you knew that.”

 

      The pale boy before him gapes, confusion running wild in his eyes.

 

      “Babe, it was me telling him off.” Louis takes a hold of Harry’s left hand in both of his, looking into his eyes because no, he absolutely cannot lose Harry because of something so dumb and foolish. “You have to trust me. Do you think deep inside that I’d ever cheat on you especially when we’ve only just gotten together? Haz you know me.” He tries optimistically.

 

      It takes him awhile. Louis sees it and he patiently waits, pulling Harry’s stool closer so the boy is between his legs. He thumbs over Harry’s cross tattoo, softly and reassuringly. He waits for him to get over the panic and the shock. It is the basic human instinct of over reacting even when you know nothing happened but your mind still chooses to send you into a frenzy of unwarranted thoughts. Louis waits and he waits because he will wait forever for this boy.

 

      A laugh. A loud, boisterous and deep laugh. Harry laughs. The first sign of his mind being restored to something akin to stability and Louis smiles. It is a relief both to his pattering heart and worried mind.

 

      Yet he has Harry’s hand still clutched within his.

 

      Harry begins with a soft whisper of Louis’ name, still laughing, still feeling silly at his reaction but Louis shushes him with a press of a finger to his plump lips.

 

      “Sssshh.” He says with a fond smile, “We will talk of it another night.”

 

      “Dance with me?” Harry asks hopefully, bringing his free hand to cup Louis’ face.

 

      Louis nods. “But first let’s finish these drinks because they aren’t gonna drink themselves. And where would our love birds happen to be?”

 

      “Grinding on the dance floor.”

 

      Laughing because they can and life is a beautiful game of tag, they tip their heads and down their drinks, hand in hand.

     

_

 

      He’s chilling with a moody Niall who’s snuggled into him like a bunny. Liam’s at work and they’re texting each other like every other second and Louis doesn’t get how Niall could be lonely. Louis’ got his feet crossed on the coffee table and Niall on his lap holding his phone over him and sometimes Louis has to very gently push the damn obstacle away from his view of the television even though he’s gladly annoyed internally. It’s always been their thing, coddling with each other whenever one of them is going through any sort of unsolvable conflict.

 

      Louis’ phone rings, vibrating on the table beside his feet, a shrill ring echoing around the room and it startles the both of them. Niall groans when he drops his phone on his face from shock and Louis chuckles, moving forward to retrieve his phone, crushing Niall in the process.

 

      “Ugghhh you need a shower.” Niall pretends to cover his nose, making Louis laugh.

 

      Harry’s picture when he made a duck face at the camera, flashes across the screen and Louis’ heart thumps. What he doesn’t expect is to hear the wrecked sobs coming through, when he answers. He panics as the distress starts to set in and jumps to his feet, pushing Niall off of him to head to the kitchen. He can vaguely hear Niall yell at him.

 

      “Haz. Baby” Louis’ strangled dread laces within the tone of his voice as he tries to stay calm. His adrenaline is pumping so fast he can’t stop twitching. Harry’s wheezing on the line and his chest tightens, to hear the heart breaking weeping. “Baby please, talk to me. What’s wrong? Harry, haz please try to come down.”

 

      But the boy just continues to cry, mumbling Louis’ name halfway, once or twice and Louis is scrambling to think of something. “Babe, breathe with me. Come on. Breathe with me, listen to my voice and do it with me.”

 

      Harry sniffs and Louis can almost instinctively see him nodding. Louis breathes in deeply and listens to Harry follow up, his cries lessening. He breathes out and listen to his sweet boy breathe out. They do it for thirty seconds until Harry is steady enough to speak. “Can you tell me what’s wrong now, love?” Louis very tenderly asks, taking a seat on a chair.

 

      “Gabe, he—“ At the first words mentioning him, Louis’ senses become sharp but he keeps the inferno of words at bay for Harry’s sake. “He’s home.”

 

      Confused, worried and angry at the same time, Louis can’t make head or tail or whatever Harry’s trying to say. “What do you mean babe? In the flat?”

 

      “No. Home.” Harry struggles in an impatient effort to get the message across to Louis, “Back home in Cheshire. Mum phoned me.” Louis’ eyebrows involuntarily rise. “He’d gone there this morning. She hadn’t called me earlier because she didn’t want to provoke any past memories but Gems there too and they’re sorting it all out. I’m sorry Lou, I was being so emotional and it feels good to hear the joy in my mum’s voice. It’s like hearing that she’d found her long lost son or something. I thought he had left again when I found all of his belonging gone. I don’t know why I was crying so much. I feel so happy? I dunno-gosh um, are you- are you okay?”

 

      “Shush darling.” An aimless smile breaks out and he can feel the fire being doused by Harry’s adorable babbling, “Don’t apologize. I know how you feel. It’s okay and I’m happy for you and for your family.”

 

      “This is the part where I’m supposed to kiss you.” Harry mutters, “But we’re phones apart.”

 

      “Phones apart.” Louis snorts, “Why don’t you come over? Or do you want me to?”

 

      “No no” Harry hurries to say and Louis can hear the sound of shuffling in the background, “I’ll be there.”

 

      “Okay.” Louis grins, “Take Care duckling.”

 

     

      Louis briefs Niall on why he’d been acting like a mother hen until Harry arrives. Niall stands up to give Harry a tight hug and pat his back before the two of them head to Louis’ bedroom since evening is drawing near and they could use some rest and privacy.

 

      Locking the door behind them, Louis pushes Harry against it and drops to his knees. He knows that’s what he needs. He knows it’s the best stress reliever one could get.

 

 

      Naked and tucked under the sheets in bed after a bath together, they stay in each other’s embrace, breathing in the soft smell of each other. The curtains in the room are drawn but not even they can hide the last rays of the darkening sky.

 

      “What did you say to him Lou?” Harry’s voice sounds hoarse from the blowjob he had given Louis earlier, “I know you told him something.”

 

      It’s useless to even think of lying to him. It won’t hurt him anymore, not when Harry’s feeling the sore wounds reopen after Gabe’s return but he knows they’re healing. He’d never lied to him before either, just kept the extra details all to himself but now even evading the question sounds stupid.

 

      “I told him to do exactly what he has taken into consideration and done.” Louis answers, stroking Harry’s arm. The boy shifts to face Louis, folding his knees and curling so Louis can wrap his arms around him as if he’s in a cocoon. “He wanted to speak to me. Went crazy when I told that you were my boyfriend but that’s what irked me into pointing out all he had done wrong and that he could fix them now if he chose too before it was too late.”

 

      “Why?” It’s a small request at trying to understand, to delve into what could possibly make Louis care so much.

 

      “Because it mattered to me that he and you and your family reunite. Whenever I see him, I see you, the day you were crying in the park and it made me feel so horrible and useless. I wanted to do something. But I had no reason to and I had no plan, either.” Louis swallows, sighing, feeling the weight lift itself off his shoulders, “Then you became my boyfriend, the one thing I’d wanted so much and everything became so much clearer. Yet even before the thought of doing anything occurred to me, he appeared and my mind, my heart, my soul put themselves out there for you. I care so much for you Harry.”

 

      Harry thumbs at his cheek and Louis leans into his touch, shutting his eyes in ease. “What you did, means so much to me Lou. I want you to know that.”

 

      “I’m glad.” Louis whispers.

 

      “You’re such a wonderful boyfriend to protect me and worry for me.” Harry continues pausing to press a brief kiss on Louis’ chest where his _It Is What It Is_ tattoo is. “You’re my hero.”

 

      Louis’ eyes snap open and he just wants to fucking bawl. He doesn’t have the strength to do it. He’s too fucking endeared and feeling so much love—

 

      “I think I’m falling.”

 

      “Falling?” Louis chuckles in confusion.

 

      “Falling for you.”

 

      It leaves Louis out of breath. Harry’s intense eyes stare deep into his. They literally scream with so much love.

 

      “I think I’m falling for you too.” Louis utters with wide eyes, with all the strength and manly courage he can muster. “And hard.”

 

-

 

      When term break arrives and Louis is smiling in wide glee with the results of his exams, specially scoring an acceptable grade in arts and crafts, it’s a little too loud in his flat. All four boys are present and Louis’ making cups of warm tea and heating the tacos Harry had made earlier for all of them.

 

      Harry had burst into the flat with Liam in tow and containers of tacos to announce that he has a special invitation for Louis which comprised of visiting his family. Louis’ posture had gone dead cold as the words processed through his brain. Visiting Harry’s family meant meeting his mother and sister. It would have been easier if it was a different situation but in this case they are boyfriends and fuck he has to live up to their expectations.

 

      But Harry being the sweet angel that he is had kept reassuring Louis that his family already loves him just from hearing how much Harry had spoken of him. Harry kept comforting him every few minutes when he got the chance but then Louis has to fucking pack his bags in an hour and then BAM they’re all headed out to go back home for the holidays.

 

      He’ll be staying at Harry’s for a week before he goes off to see his own, possibly with Harry in tow. That is something he needs to write in his mental notes because he does want his family to meet Harry so damn much.

 

      He tries not to let the fear get to him though but they have their tea and tacos, Zayn included who looks so bright and Louis might have a hunch as to why. He’s seen that purple haired girl many a time chatting with their Zaynie and his phone dings with a notification.

 

      Right. Time to start his boring job of packing. He may or may not have accepted Harry’s offer to help.

 

 

      Standing outside their building before they leave, all five of them get into a stuffy, group hug. There’s a bit of bantering and dick jokes being made. Zayn says he’ll bring them all souvenirs from the States where he’ll be spending the holidays with his family. Niall makes Louis promise to text him and Louis makes sure to give Liam his best death glare and whisper a stern, “Protect my little Irishman. I want him in one piece next semester or I’ll cut your dick off.” Liam nods gravely but also pinches Louis’ bicep when they hug, saying something similar regarding Harry’s safety. Laughing and chatting for the last time like the lovely five piece they are, they part.

 

      Harry carries both his and Louis’ luggage, hauling them into the back of the cab and Louis carries a small duffel bag and Ginger’s carrier and she’s meowing as if the world is about to end. He still pretends to complain that it’s heavy. Harry though shakes his head in wild bemusement at Louis’ antics.

 

 

 

      They arrive at Holmes Chapel in Cheshire, a lovely green place, having the air of the countryside. Louis can smell the earth through the window of the cab. The driver helps them take out their luggage to the doorstep and leaves with a generous tip from Harry.

 

      They barely even knock before the door is flung open and Harry is pulled into an embrace, his hand slipping away from Louis’ hold. It’s like Harry’s mother can feel the presence of her son. His mum is the same; it’s no surprise to Louis, really. Anne is pretty, tall and smart like an English woman. Her tight lips and brown hair, the wrinkled corners of her eyes from years of smiling like her son and her youth beneath her aged skin speaks in volumes in similarity to Harry. They’re both joyous and delightful human beings and Louis does not even need to interact with Anne to know that.

 

      Gemma is leaning against the door post, a smug grin upon her lips and Louis hadn’t even noticed her. She looks so much the same, beautiful and similar to her mother and Harry.

 

      Harry is laughing within his mother’s embrace, having missed her quite a lot. His laughter makes Louis’ stomach jump with excitement. He didn’t even have time to indulge his fears before the family had made their appearance but he feels so comfortable in their presence. Harry moves to hug Gemma and Anne looks to him with a motherly smile. She holds out her hands before pulling him into a warm hug. Gosh, he misses his own mother so much.

 

      Harry watches them beside Gemma flashing him a _I told you so_ grin. When Gemma proceeds to hug him, she pinches his ear as if she’s known him for ages. She doesn’t say anything except a warm “hello” as if she approves of him. It all makes him feel good.

 

      “Come on in darlings.” Anne ushers them inside, both females helping them with their luggage. Gemma unlocks Ginger’s cage and the cat sets off into the house before they hear another high pitched meow.

 

      “That’s Dusty.” Gemma grins, putting away the carrier, “Harry brought her home when he was coming from school. Found her by the roadside.”

 

      Harry makes a baby face at her, “She was a little kitty. What was I supposed to do?”

 

      Gemma shakes her head, “This kid I assure you, he brought in so many cats. We had to give them away.”

 

      Louis bursts into laughter before stifling it when Harry pouts at him. “That’s my Hazza.” He says wrapping an arm around the boy.

 

      “Would you like some tea Louis dear?” Anne asks, clasping her hands together.

 

      “That’d be lovely Mrs. Styles.” He replies.

 

      “Anne.” She tells him pointedly but with a smile. “Harry dear, would you like to join me?”

 

      Harry nods and follows his mother to the kitchen, throwing a backwards kissy face at Louis. Gemma pulls Louis away to sit at the couch. Ginger and Dusty comes running to them and they each pick one. Louis of course goes for Ginger because she has a soft spot for him. He’s the one who sneaks her treats.

 

      “So how did you meet H?” Gemma questions looking very serious and scratching at the black and white cat, “Don’t say Uni.” She warns, “I know that.”

 

      Louis laughs silently at the back of his throat. She’s just like him in ways. “In arts and crafts.” He knows this is an interrogation. Something older siblings never fail to make sound epic. “Does this follow up with the, you know-“He makes wild hand gestures, “Don’t hurt my brother I will kill you talk?”

 

      “Good.” She nods thoughtfully, “That’s what I heard. No, I think you do know the _hurt him, I’ll kill you_ talk.” She sounds quite grave; it’s itching at his bones. “So I thought I’ll demonstrate it.”

 

      Louis jumps to his feet in horror, making sure to have at least a five foot distance between Gemma and himself. The girl looks fucking deadly serious and he has no idea how this turned out like it did. But then she starts laughing like a cackling hen and lunges for him. He steps back, relieved. It does not even take a second for her to recover and he actually bloody runs, maybe he did let out a girly squeal but fucking hell Gemma’s coming after him and he needs a saviour.

 

      “Gemmmmmaaa!” He groans as he runs, throwing looks over his shoulder to see how much she’s gained on him. They run around the hallway, behind the sofas, ducks from being caught and shouts in terror. They’re like the typical cat and mouse on a ravenous chase. It’s almost hilarious one could say.

 

      Louis takes his open chance on running to the kitchen. All he needs is Harry, strong, muscled, big Harry who’ll protect him from his evil sister who is passionate enough to – insert horrified face here – demonstrate her disembowelling skills.

 

      “Haz!” He gasps, clutching onto the boy’s forearm as he comes to a stop, Gemma standing by the door with a guilty look. Huh! Got her good. She’s feeling guilty, another achievement to feed to his lucky ego.

 

      His eyes lock with a pair of green eyes but they don’t give him the same warm feeling because it’s fucking Gabe! In the kitchen! And that is why the household is silent as a damn prayer room! Anne and Gemma is just looking at him as if he’s trodden a land mine, which very clearly makes him feel uncomfortable. Harry’s watching him with the eyes of a lover who’s waiting for him to make a move. “Oh.” Louis’ eyes go wide and he steps back, giving them a look of actual apology and remorse, a mixture of both. He tries to move away and head back but Harry’s arm is clutching his elbow and he’s giving him a soft look.

 

      “Lou, so Gabe—“Harry begins, the uncomfortable and uncertain edge to his voice cutting through to Louis’ ears. He presses his right thumb on Harry’s hand which is clutching at his left elbow, between his thumb and forefinger. It’s a reassurance. It’s a ‘ _don’t talk; I got it’_ sort of one way conversation. Honestly, lovers have their crazy, mind and gesture language. Don’t even question it.

 

      Anne and Gemma very subtly tries to get out of the room but no, Louis does not miss that. He’s got his eyes everywhere. “I’ll take our tea to the hall.” Harry pecks Louis’ cheek and turns around to pick up the black tray, intricate in yellow patterns. He gives Gabe a brief one armed hug and a weak smile before he leaves.

 

      Gabe is looking innocent, eyes downcast and fumbling with his fingers. His hair has been cut and Louis’ glad Harry had vowed to never cut his. He loves Harry’s hair to a great extent because it also comes with an added advantage of difficult to obtain sound effects when pulled during their sexual endeavours. Donned in a green packers jersey - Louis is very sure, had belonged to Harry at some point because he’s the only guy he knows who has a crazy love hate relationship with the packers – , a grey t-shirt and skinny jeans. Impressive but it is not a style Gabe struts about in.

 

      Louis crosses his arms and leans back against the marble countertop. Was this where Harry’s family reunited with their son and sibling? Was this where Harry listened to his brother’s apology? Was this where they hugged, in the exact same position Louis and Gabe are now standing face to face?

 

      He watches the muscles in Gabe’s face work, tensed. He knows, the guy is thinking of something to say. But before he does, Louis cuts to the chase. “Say whatever you have to say but I solemnly swear that if you speak a word against my boyfriend I’ll have you hanged.” With that he gestures to continue. Gabe nods silently for the first time since Louis’ encounters with him which was like months ago, okay, well not that long, probably two months. He can’t remember, honestly.

 

      “I know we got off on the wrong foot.” Gabe begins, evidently showing much discomfort. “And I wish I could say we had met differently but then I wouldn’t be here.” He sweeps the entirety of the room with his hand. “I have to thank you for that I guess. That night in the toilets…” He keeps shrugging and Louis is so familiar with the signs of discomfort. “What you yelled at me, struck me so hard. When you said that I could fix it before it was too later, it was as if the world had crashed down on me and something within me was scrambling to pick up the pieces and make it all right. I knew I had a chance. I knew I wanted my family back.”

 

      Louis feels the sudden pride lift within him. “Thank you for putting some sense into me. I’m also very sorry for my behaviour and the times I nearly killed you with my anger.” Huh! Right, it’s a good thing Louis is a trained master in fist fights, not that he’s not gone home with a broken bone or anything. “I’m taking anger management classes for that and I’m even managed to get a small job down at Harry’s favourite bakery which is a lot because I could barely hold down a job before.” Louis shuffles on his feet, glancing at the doorway behind Gabe for any signs of human presence. “I’m so bad at this. I just want to say how sorry I am, I know I’ve said it a thousand times before but this time I mean it a hundred percent and also thank you.” Gabe throws his hand in the air as if that had drained all of his energy. “There. I’ve shown my insides to you.” Louis blanches. Gabe’s got a quirk to his lips like he wants to smile and this time genuinely but he doesn’t want to. What is with these men and their goals of wanting to portray power?

 

      Honesty is what his gut tells him when he consults it. Gabe’s being truthful and Louis can see the small changes in him, from the hair cut to the lack of dark circles around his eyes and the also the lack of reeking of weed. Gabe's never done him any sort of unforgivable crime. The only issue is that Gabe's done unbearable things to Harry and his family and Louis' now connected to both subjects and it's a common thing for him to feel like he can't forgive the guy just yet.

 

      Louis smiles and he almost wants to wipe it off but he thinks Gabe deserves it. “That is all really good to hear, man.” He says, “I’m happy for you but I’m especially happy that Harry got his brother back. I hate to admit it but it’s very brave of you for taking a brighter turn. It’s got to take guts man to walk up to the front porch of your childhood home and you know…” He drags on; knowing that walking through memories is not the best option here. “But this does not mean you and I” He gestures between them, “Whatever you have, that cannot happen. I am together with someone I deeply care for and that’s not going to change.” _Even if you both are the same, there’s a difference_ he thinks to himself.

 

      “No no!” Gabe goes to reassure him, “Nothing of the sort will be happening. H is happy and that’s something genuinely nice to see, speaking as a brother.”

 

      “Okay yeah.” Louis clears his throat, “I accept your apology but it’ll take some getting used to. I’ve never seen you in the bright side of things and that has sort of tainted my view on you. I won’t guarantee ‘best pals’ on the list but we’ll work up to that eventually I guess, that is if” He points a finger at him, “you don’t try any funny business or fuck up again.” He works raw okay, it’s his nature. He can’t waste time cooing and comforting people. It’s best to go in with the cold hard truth. Harry is the only exception.

 

      Gabe nods and offers his hand. Louis studies it for a moment before shaking it, part of him expecting Gabe’s hand to turn into some sort of medusa snake and eat his hand.

 

      “Shall we?” Gabe points at the door behind him with a thumb.

 

      Louis nods.

 

      When they make their entrance to the hall, it is to Harry in rambunctious laughter, slapping his knee and clutching his stomach at something Gemma had very apparently said. Anne is watching the conduct between her kids with a tilt to her lips, affectionate in her expression.

 

      “Gabe and I have decided that Harry needs to show me around town.” Louis loudly announces and wraps an arm around Gabe’s shoulder for added effect. Their ‘ _in time we’ll be pals’_ is just between them, no one needs to worry.

 

      Harry’s eyes light up and he makes grabby hands at Louis from the couch. Louis indulges him. Of course he does. Harry is his baby duckling. “Your sister wants my precious balls if I hurt you.” He whispers into Harry’s ear, watching Gabe take a seat beside Anne who pinches his cheek. Harry’s laugh gurgles out of his mouth and he side eyes his sister.

 

      “I won’t let her.” He tells Louis, trying to act serious. Louis’ on his lap and the family loves him so he expresses his love with a kiss.

 

_

 

      They’re seated on the bed in Harry’s childhood bedroom and he’s on a phone call to his mother. Gabe had volunteered to sleep on the sofa for the week and give Harry back his bedroom. Louis’ seated between Harry’s legs, his back against the boy’s chest and Harry’s arms wrapped around his waist.

 

      “Yeah mum.” He nods, “How’s the girls? Is Lots doing alright? She hasn’t gotten herself a boyfriend has she?” He can feel Harry’s mouth stretch when his chin shifts on Louis’ shoulder. “Okay, good. I’ll be seeing all of you in a week and I might be bringing a special guest with me.”

 

      The delicate pinch on his hip nearly has him squealing down the phone. “Yeah it’s him. They’re lovely folks mum.”

 

      They talk for a bit more time, Louis humming and nodding. He laughs and talks of how Niall’s doing – whom he did text earlier in the day - and that he’s got himself a boyfriend.

 

      “Your mum sounds lovely.” Harry voices when Louis ends the call.

 

      “Harry.” A chuckle escapes through his exhale, “Your mum is the same.”

 

      “I can’t wait to meet yours though.”

 

      “Who said the special guest was going to be you?” He pretends to be confused. There’s nothing more entertaining than ruffling Harry’s feathers but the boy doesn’t fall for it this time. Instead he gives Louis a look and pulls both of them down onto the bed which holy shit! Creaks like the wooden boards in a haunted house. They won’t be having any activities on this old hag then. He knows that for sure.

 

      They press against each other’s chest, legs tangling and Harry lets out a tired yawn. It’s cute. Louis finds every small thing Harry does, to be cute. Even when he burns a pancake.

 

      “Lou?”

 

      “Hmm?”

 

      “I told Gabe that I accepted his apology but it would take me time to get used to everything. Because everything still hurts and just because he swooped in, what happened in the past years isn’t going to wipe itself. Does that make me a bad person? I think mum and Gems told him something similar.”

 

      “No babe.” Louis replies, brushing the soft skin on Harry’s hip, “If it makes you feel better, I told him something similar. It’s the most sensible approach. No one can forgive and forget so quickly. It takes trust and love to rebuild everything. And he’ll have to prove that he means what he said.”

 

      “You’re really clever sometimes.”

 

      He laughs, “So are you.”

 

      The room goes silent for a long period of time and he assumes that the boy beside him has fallen asleep. But then-

 

      “Good night Lou” Harry mumbles very incoherently, “I’m glad you like my family and all.”

 

      “Me too.” Louis nods, watching Harry’s facing under the faint little rays the moon is casting, “Good night my little bird.”

 

      His ears pick up Harry’s even breaths. His skin feels Harry’s tightening arms and he’s pretty sure Harry can hear his heartbeat where his head lay on his chest, even though he’s asleep. Harry has always been the little spoon unless extreme times counted where he’d wrap Louis in a blanket like a burrito and cuddle him from behind.

 

      So much love, so much adoration and an unquenchable fire of love is what he feels, staring at Harry, his pretty lashes sweeping the apples of his cheeks. He could have been with anyone in the world right now but instead he’s been destined to be beside this boy.

 

      A boy who wears his heart on his sleeve and has so much energy no matter the circumstances that everyone around them feels the vibrations, miles away and forget why they were worried in the first place. And what exactly had he committed in his past life to end up with Harry?

 

       And what luck he has been in, to kiss, to touch, and to feel the soft skin beneath his fingers, to experience the smiles and gruff morning voice and lovely curls and silly but endearing play.

 

                        All of it, because he was caught in the middle of a battle between parallel worlds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
